I'm Not Falling For You
by ronOReds
Summary: Bella get's picked to be on a dating reality show! How will the guys show their love and who will be the last one standing!
1. Chapter 1

**Premise: ****Bella got picked to be one of those creazy reality dating shows similar to Flavor of Love and I love New York.**

**I'm Not Falling For You**

"Isabella?"

I distantly heard my manager call my name, and I looked at him over the rim of my glass.

"How do you feel about that song as your opening?" He stood with his pencil poised, waiting for my response. I sighed loudly, wishing that I didn't have to make all these decisions. For the past 2 hours, I had been sitting in the executive suite of the Hilton hotel going over details for my new show.

Yes, I had a new show. _Me_. But I wasn't going to take credit for it. Rose and Alice, my two best friends, were the ones who entered me into this thing. We were at the mall shopping when Alice got wind of some sort of tryouts on the top floor. She practically dragged Rose and me up there, and once she found out that it was a dating show, she shoved me into the hot seat.

Alice and Rose had perfect boyfriends already, so it was me they were constantly playing matchmaker with. They forced me onto a slew of bad dates and were determined to find me the guy of my dreams.

Who knows how I had actually won this thing because my audition was anything but flawless. In fact, I had actually tripped over the microphone wires that were set up around the video camera. I was pretty sure the opening shot was of me tumbling face first toward the camera. Alice and Rose on the other hand, weren't surprised at all that they had picked me. They said that my good looks and clumsy demeanor would create charming drama, just what the producers were looking for.

So there I was, discussing the finer points of my new show with my manager I had just met. He was a younger man, about 28 years old, and he was not one to waste time.

"Isabella, are you listening to me?" he said in an aggravated tone. I noticed his face was turning a bright shade of red due to his frustration. I blinked guiltily back at him.

"Yeah, yeah…that songs um...perfect for the opening," I responded, only half knowing what I was agreeing to.

"Good, the producers feel the same way," he replied dutifully, jotting down something in his notebook. I knew all the decisions weren't mine, but it seemed they were trying to involve me as much as possible.

"Now this show is going to work just like any other reality dating show," he began, seemingly bursting with excitement. "I Love New York, Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, Tila Tequila…" he trailed off.

I nodded, I had seen all those shows with Rose and Alice, and I still couldn't actually believe that I was going to be the one doing the choosing. _What the hell was I getting myself into? _I had seen the insanely dramatic things that went on during those shows, and I hoped that nothing too crazy would happen during mine.

"What's it going to be called again?" I asked, taking another sip of my wine.

"I'm Not _Falling_ For You," he said blankly, still staring at his notebook. I had definitely heard the inflection in his voice, but for the sake of my embarrassment I decided to ignore it. "There are seven very different contestants. And every day there will be challenges and activities, giving a chance for the men to prove themselves and their love. But each night you will have to eliminate one of them. In the end, you are supposed to have found the perfect guy for you."

I could tell he thought that would happen as much as I did. I didn't know who these guys were yet, but I was sure that whoever signed up for a show like this was not going to be _the perfect guy _for me.

I nodded, trying to let everything sink in. There were just so many things I had to remember. I had a wardrobe and makeup stylist plucking and picking at me all day. They had shown me to my dressing room, which was more like a large hotel room, and fitted me in dozens of outfits I normally wouldn't be caught dead in. I had an events coordinator and planner, drilling slogans and speeches into my head for hours. I had to run through a mock elimination ceremony and entrance walk, among many other things.

Rose and Alice were ridiculously excited about this. They had both taken two weeks off of work so they could stay with me and help me make my decisions. They were going to be there the entire time, but only showing themselves during the elimination ceremonies. They were both in my hotel room right now, watching the audition tapes of the guys that were going to be on the show.

My manager stood up and I did the same, hoping that this was over.

"Your limo will be leaving tomorrow around 8:00," he said gathering all his paperwork. "Your love house was finished this morning and you're all set to move in."

_Love house. _That was one thing I was definitely looking forward too. Apparently the girls, the contestants and I got to stay in an oversized mansion during filming. I had seen the houses from the other shows and I was certainly excited about that.

"Is that all?" I asked quickly, anxious to go back to my room.

"For now," he said giving me a stern look. "But keep your phone on; I will need to go over last minute details with you in about an hour or so after I talk to my boss."

I nodded, tapped the cell phone in my side pocket and headed outside to the elevator. I got inside, pressed the button to get to the 6th floor, and waited patiently.

Once I was on the right floor, I grabbed the room key from my purse and slid it in the waiting slot. I had hardly walked two feet into the room before Alice bounded over and threw herself at me.

"BELLA! OH MY GOD! Just WAIT till you see some of these guys!" she squealed, dragging me over to the couch. Rosalie was sitting on the floor, feet away from the television with the remote in her hand, grinning madly.

"You've watched all seven guys already?" I said astounded, reluctantly sitting next to Rosalie on the floor. Alice plopped down, almost in my lap and snatched the remote away from Rosalie.

"Yup!" replied Rosalie. Alice was a different story, but I had certainly never seen her this outwardly excited before. "And Bella let me tell you, they are HOTT!"

"Better than your boyfriend?" I joked, watching Alice press the rewind button.

"Not better," she said seriously, "But I think a few are just as good!"

After another minute of chatter, the video abruptly stopped signaling that it was back at the beginning.

Alice let out some sort of weird shaking excited noise and pressed play.

I took a deep breath, waiting to see the guys that I would have to choose from. _Please let me like at least one of them_, I chanted in my head.

The words, **Contestant Number 1**, flashed in bold black letters, and a video started rolling right after.

We were taken to a beautiful beach setting, and the three of us were glued to the screen, taking in the rich and open ocean atmosphere. It was breathtaking. From the right side, a figure finally stepped into view. He had tan rippling muscles that were glistening in the sun from the sheen of sweat that was covering his upper body. He had dark hair and dark eyes that felt like they were penetrating into mine through the screen.

"Hello Isabella," the boy said in husky voice, his hair blowing a little in what must have been a slight breeze. "My name is Jacob. And this is where I live, La Push, Washington. As you can see," he said, gesturing wildly around him, "I love the beach. I am hoping that I will be able to take you here one day, so we can enjoy it together. I love taking risks, that's why I signed up for this show. I can't wait to meet you Isabella," he crooned, and then the screen went black.

Alice got on her knees and paused it, looking as if she was about to explode with squeals.

But I couldn't form any words. My mouth was practically on the floor by the end of his video. Jacob was one of the hottest guys I had probably ever seen in my life. Alice and Rose were beside themselves with giggles at my inability to comment.

"He's one of our favorites!" said Alice, while Rosalie nodded.

"What a way to start!" I finally said in a daze, now getting excited to see the rest of the contestants. They couldn't all be this good, could they? Alice must have read my mind because she sat back down and pressed the play button.

**Contestant Number 2** flashed in bold letters again, and another video started rolling.

We were taken to a very large, but almost crooked looking house. _What was this_? I thought. But once the second contestant stepped into view, I was no longer thinking about the house because a tall redheaded man was smiling beautifully into the camera.

"Hey Isabella," he said, "I'm Ron, and this is where I live, The Burrow. I have five brothers and a little sister, and family has always been the most important thing me. I just graduated and I can't wait to come to America, and I'm _bloody_ excited to meet you." He gave me a cute wave, and when he stood up to turn off the camera, I got a lovely view of his body.

"_Wow_," I said when the screen went black. "A british guy with an accent?"

"Isn't he sexy?" said Rosalie, "I love the red hair, don't see too much of that around here."

I shook my head in disbelief; already I was having trouble deciding if I liked Jacob or Ron better. But I turned back to the screen as **Contestant Number Three** flashed before me.

A large field was the opening picture, and a football came flying out of nowhere and into the arms of a blond headed man who seemlingly appeared at just the right time to catch it. He had really bright eyes with light blond hair. He was wearing just a tank top and athletic shorts, but it was obvious that he had an impeccable body.

"Isabella," he said, panting slightly. "I'm Mike, and I'd do anything to win this competition."

_A bit overly anxious, _I thought. But it was hard to deny, he was hott.

"I love outdoor activities, and I love a good chase," he hinted, looking directly into the camera. "I am counting down the days until I can see you." He then looked away and pointed at something we couldn't see. He drew back and roughly threw the football, and after a moment pumped his fist in victory. The screen went black.

I fell into a fit of laughter at his cocky display. But I had to admit I was excited about him too. He had a great body and he was already really into me, just from seeing my picture. His enthusiasm was contagious.

Alice wasn't too keen on him though.

"He's good looking, but he seems like a jerk," she said. Rosalie quickly shook her head in disagreement.

"So he's a little confident? What's wrong with that? I like him." She said firmly.

Alice and I shared a look. Of course Rosalie wouldn't be turned off by a little confidence. She was usually a bit over confident herself, but we loved her just the same. She wouldn't be Rosalie if she wasn't.

**Contestant #4** flashed across the screen in bold letters.

We were in a large expensive looking office, facing a desk with a leather chair turned away from us. After a moment, the chair spun around, and the man pretended as if he was just finishing up something extremely important.

"Welcome Isabella," he said. He was a slim but sharp looking man, dressed in a very nice business suit. He was obviously wealthy and wanted it to show. But he did have a handsome face; I had to give him that. "I'm Eric, and I am coming there to show you how I am the perfect guy for you. You see, I worked hard to get where I am, and a girl like you needs someone who can support her…give her the finer things in life." He got up, walked around his desk and sat down on the edge, loosening his tie. "I am also not afraid to…let loose, show you my passionate side."

Rosalie snorted next to me.

"So farewell Isabella, see you soon." The screen went black.

"I'm willing to bet that guy has as much passion as a dead animal," huffed Rosalie, rolling her eyes at me.

"How do you know?" disagreed Alice, "He seems like a motivated and mature man who is secure with himself," she said. "And don't say he isn't passionate, we don't know that yet! He could be great for Bella."

I could already tell having them with me was not going to make my elimination decisions any easier. They couldn't even agree after first impressions. To be honest, I liked Eric. I mean he wasn't the best looking out of the four I had seen, but he was cute. And there was nothing wrong with a stable guy. I wasn't going to rule him out yet.

**Contestant #5**

"Oh wait until you see him Bella!" whispered Alice next to me, moving in closer.

The video opened up, slowing closing in on a 2008 Lamborghini Murciélago. A guy was leaning on it with a wide grin. He had on a leather jacket and boots, looking like a real badass, but I liked him immediately.

"What's up Isabella, I'm Tyler," he said, nodding his head in welcome. We watched as he opened the door and got inside the silver car, turning back to the camera to talk us from his window. "If you didn't already notice, I like surrounding myself with beautiful things. And you would be my perfect accessory."

I didn't exactly like how he made me sound like a trophy, but his good looks were distracting and I realized I didn't care. Not only did he look like fun, but he was god damn sexy.

"I can't wait to meet you," he said turning on the ignition. "Goodbye Isabella, I'm driving to LA to come get you." With those words he sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind him. I shivered at his words, loving how they thrilled me.

"I like him," I said out loud, once the screen went black. "He looks like a good time."

Rose and Alice agreed fervently.

"You haven't even seen MY favorite yet," Alice told me, but there's one more guy before him.

**Contestant #6**

We were led into a high school setting, which turned me off a little bit. I was hoping he wasn't still a student; I had graduated over two years ago.

The camera zoomed in on a staircase where a blond boy was perched. He had spiky blond hair and a charming smile. _Hm, he looks old enough_. I thought.

"Hey Isabella," he began, standing up and leaning against the railing. I couldn't help but notice he was wearing 80's high tops. But it didn't matter, for some reason he pulled off the look well. "I'm Zack. And I couldn't help but get involved once I heard about this little competition you're having. See, I love adventure, I love planning, and I like winning. And I want you Isabella." He hopped off the stairs and walked over to one of the lockers. He popped it open and pulled out a single rose. He turned and gave me a smile, and the screen went black.

"What a schemer," said Alice. "It looks like he's going to cause drama."

"He's cute though," said Rosalie, "Kind of in a high school kind of way."

I nodded; Zack was indeed a cutie pie. Someone I would have definitely had a crush on when I was younger. I couldn't believe it, but I was completely satisfied with all the contestants so far. Picking just one was going to be harder than I thought.

"Last one," said Alice in an excited voice. She un-paused it, and I watched with anticipation as **Contestant** **#8** flashed.

The camera was shaking violently and I heard laughter in the background. I couldn't see anything clearly but it seemed as if we were in a bedroom. I heard a loud smack and gasped. Someone had obviously just been slapped.

As the camera righted itself, my eyes widened, taking in the last contestant.

Even though he had a scowl on his face, he was devastatingly handsome, the best one yet.

"_Start talking!" _a voice hissed in the background, and he sat up and for the first time looked back at the camera. His eyes were impossibly green, and I could do nothing but helplessly stare back at him.

"Hello Isabella," he said in a controlled tone. "My name is Edward. And I'm going to be honest and tell you it wasn't my idea to sign up for this. My brothers insisted after I made one little comment when I saw your picture. I will admit that you are very beautiful. I don't know what else to say, so I suppose I will see you sometime soon."

The screen went black.

"Isn't he so handsome?" said Alice, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Very," I replied. "But he doesn't seem like he even wants to come." I didn't want to admit it, but I was a little disappointed in his tape. He was impossibly beautiful, but if he wasn't interested, there would be no reason for me to keep him around very long.

"But that's what makes him the most normal," Alice insisted, trying to lift my mood. "And besides, you have got seven great guys to choose from!"

"Exactly," agreed Rosalie. "One of them is bound to be a good match for you."

I nodded and ran over the contestants in my head. _Jacob, Ron, Mike, Eric, Tyler, Zack, Edward._

I wondered who I would like the best. Who was going to be the one left standing?

I couldn't sleep that night, and I woke up feeling groggy and very unprepared to start filming a show where millions of people would be watching.

When we arrived at _The Love House_, my jaw dropped onto the floor. It looked like a Castle that you only saw in fairy tales. Rosalie and Alice were squealing happily beside me, and before I could even take a good look around, they were dragging me inside.

The whole house was furnished to perfection, and I learned that Rose, Alice, and I even had a hallway to ourselves. There were large photos of me everywhere, including a life size one that was staring at you the second you walked through the door.

But after seeing the one of my hanging over the toilet, I insisted the producers take it down.

There were only two hours left, two hours until the show starts, and two hours until all the contestants met me for the first time.

**Author's Note: Just to clear a few things up, yes, that is Ron Weasley, and before I get attacked by Ron and Hermione shippers, have no fear! There has to be an episode where all their ex gf's come right? Haha…and Zack is Zack Morris from saved by the bell!…not Zac Effron! No offense to those High School Musical fans or anything, but he is not in my story! And thanks to my friend VJGM for reading my story once again before I posted! ) You're the best!**


	2. Chapter 2

Today was the big day.

In about ten minutes, filming was going to commence. There were camera men and crew members all around, putting together last minute details. I was glad for this one second I had to gather my thoughts. It was the first time that I had been left alone all morning. The second I woke up, I was rushed into hair and makeup. I sat there for hours while they curled my hair, waxed every stray hair on my body, which I might add had been quite painful.

But I suppose it was worth it, I felt like I had never looked better in my life. I was wearing a silver BEBE dress that I knew wasn't even in stores yet, with matching silver heels that lifted me an extra five inches off the ground. It gave me the extra boost of confidence I needed since I was ridiculously nervous to meet the guys.

As I stood at the top of the stairs, watching everyone bustle around me, I still couldn't believe this was happening. Was I really going to be on TV searching for a guy? Would I really have to eliminate people, just like they did in the shows I watched?

Pacing back and forth above the staircase, hidden from view, I tried to remember the lines to my opening sequence.

"Bella you look fabulous!" said Rose from somewhere behind me. I turned to see them emerge from one of the hallways.

"Isn't this so exciting!?" Alice added, fingering the straps of my gown. I had a feeling that they were more excited than I was, I was almost to the point of trembling.

"I'm so nervous, I'm not cut out for this kind of thing," I confided, grateful that they were there with me.

"Nonsense," Rosalie scolded. "You've got the chance of a lifetime here; this is going to be great!" We were suddenly interrupted by a loud honking noise coming from outside. We all stopped to listen.

"The guys are here," a crew man said into his mouthpiece as he ran down the stairs. "Everyone get ready, we need to get their reactions coming into the house."

I felt my heartbeat increase ten fold. The contestants actually arriving made it all the more real.

"Oh god, oh god," I whispered, falling onto the wall beside me. "I can't do this." My mind was whirling with anxiety. I was trying to think of ways that I could actually back out of this. But I knew it was impossible, I had signed a contract already that had me locked for the whole season.

Rosalie and Alice peered happily down the stairs, waiting for the door to open.

My manager whizzed around the corner, talking loudly into a cell phone. When he spotted me he snapped it shut and gave me a big smile.

"Ready for your debut, Miss Swan?" he asked, eyeing my appearance, making sure it reached his standards. I self consciously looked down at myself, making sure nothing was falling out.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I tried to sound convincing, but I knew the shakiness in my voice gave me away. He gave me the most genuine look I had seen from him yet.

"Look Bella, you shouldn't be nervous. These guys want to be here. They are ready and willing to do anything to win your heart. If anything, they should be the nervous ones, they have to impress you and win the contests."

I nodded feeling a little bit better.

"Now get in place, you've got two minutes." He took his cell phone back out and disappeared down the hall.

"Eeeeee!" Alice squealed, running into my arms and giving me a big hug. "Good luck Bella, Rose and I will be watching from the bedroom."

I hugged her back not wanting to let go. But once Alice pulled away, Rosalie flew into my arms.

"Go get 'em," she whispered. "Be confident, be sexy, and make them work for it." She let go of me and winked, and they gave me one more encouraging look before heading back to our room.

Now I was alone.

My stomach felt queasy. I wrung my hands tightly, desperately trying to calm my nerves. If this went badly, I would never forgive Alice for making me do this. I knew I had only one minute left to prepare myself, so I walked to the top of the staircase, behind the curtain. I tried not to wobble too much in my ridiculously high heels.

The door flew open and I heard an onslaught of male voices. I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were all talking at once. They sounded excited. I heard a woman's voice telling them to line up at the bottom of the staircase, and inform them that the cameras were going to start rolling in 30 seconds.

_30_ seconds.

I took a deep calming breath trying to steady myself and remember the opening speech the writers had given me. A small woman rushed over and quickly dabbed a fresh coat of gloss on my lips, and then disappeared just as fast as she had come.

I was alone with only my pounding heartbeat for company.

I began to count down silently in my head.

10…9…8…

I distantly heard my opening theme song getting louder and louder, and as soon as I composed my features into the best smile I could muster, the curtain dropped.

I stood in shock as the entire room erupted into thunderous cat calls and whistles. I could barely here the music over the noise the boys were making. I couldn't help but giggle at their reactions.

Realizing that I needed to start walking down the stairs, I put on the sexiest smile I could and began to descend. I could now hear my theme song booming out of the speakers.

_You got me trippin, stumblin', flippin', fumblin'_

_So clumsy cuz I'm falling in love_

Once I started walking down to that song, the boys erupted into applause again, and I could feel every one of their eyes watching me intently.

The show had officially started.

As I neared the bottom, I finally let myself look at all the contestants who were waiting for me. I noticed Jacob first. He stood solidly, looking as if he wanted to pounce on me. I gave him a quick smile and he put his two fingers in his mouth to whistle. I wanted to look at the others, but I knew the cameras were rolling and I had to begin my speech.

I walked over to the platform in the center of the living room and spun around to face them. They had all followed me over and surrounded me, all pushing each other to get the closet.

"Hello Boys," I called in a loud voice, putting my hands in the air to signal them to stop cheering. They quieted down instantly.

"Fuckin' beautiful," someone whispered loudly from the back once it became quiet. I smiled and felt the blush creep up my cheeks.

"Welcome to the _Love House_, and my show 'I'm Not Falling For You!' My name is Isabella, but I would prefer it if you would all call me Bella. Now, I'm really excited that you guys came out here and I'm really hoping that one of you is the perfect guy for me!" I smiled, which caused the boys to erupt into another thunderous applause.

I held up my hands again to quiet them, and couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm, it was overwhelming.

"But it's not going to be easy," I said loudly in a different tone. "I'm here to find someone's who real, someone who is honest and not someone looking to take advantage of me. With the help of my two friends, who you will be meeting at our first elimination, we are going to find my man!"

They began to cat call again, and some of the guys even pointed at themselves enthusiastically once I met their gaze.

"So with that said, make me fall for you!" I laughed and threw my hands in the air. It was a cheesy line, but it was going to be the slogan of the whole show, I had no choice in the matter.

After the boys had calmed down once again, they began challenging each other for my attention. Most of them were shoving the others out of the way trying to talk to me. Everyone was talking over each other.

"Now, first things first, I've got to give you guys nicknames so I can remember you better, if you'll kindly follow me over here so we can get started."

"I'll follow you anywhere baby!" someone yelled loudly as we made our way over to the other side of the living room.

I laughed and sat down in my makeshift chair and the boys lined up on the red carpet in front of me. I was hardly surprised to see that Jacob was the first in line. He had been the most demanding so far.

I motioned for him to step forward and he came until he was about two feet in front of me. I felt like he was invading my personal space a little bit, but I hardly minded. He was even better looking in person. He was gazing at me with hungry predatory eyes and I was rendered speechless for a moment.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at me with a smirk.

"What should we call you?" I said out loud. He reminded me of something, and it was at the tip of my tongue.

"You can call me whatever you want to call me," he whispered, still smug.

I looked him up and down, taking in his stance and demeanor, still trying to figure out what he reminded me of.

"Wolf!" I finally said. That's what he reminded me of. His whole aura was surrounding me and just radiating power. He was wild and animalistic, and it was hot.

"Wolf it is," he grinned, bending down close to my ear to kiss my cheek. I shuddered for a moment at his warmth. He went off to the side to get his nametag from my assistant and head outside to the backyard to wait.

"Next," I called, motioning the boy to come forward. I recognized him as the one throwing around the football. _Mike_ I think his name was.

"Hey there," I said, as I took in his appearance. He was soft and sweet looking, almost like the boys back in the little town I grew up in. It was obvious that he was nervous, looking at me with round blue eyes. He reminded me of home.

"Home Boy," I said instantly, giggling a little. It the perfect name for him, and I knew he liked it when he smiled back.

"Home Boy," he repeated happily, making his way over to get his name tag. After the sticker was placed on his chest, he went out into the backyard.

"Next," I called, and the boy that was in that fabulous car stepped up.

"Hey beautiful," he said, looking me up and down. I could tell by his voice that he had been the one making those crude comments. But he had a dangerous air about him that attracted me right away. Tyler was his real name.

"Hot Rod," I said nodding, knowing that it would help me remember him if I linked him to the car.

He laughed, knowing why I picked the name, and went to get his name tag.

"Next."

The boy from the high school, Zack, stepped up and gave me a mischievous boyish smile. He was still wearing his 80's high tops, along with khakis and popped collar. I wasn't really into the whole look he was going for, but I couldn't deny he had a charming smile.

"Preppy," I called. I would definitely be able to distinguish him with that name. I sent him off with the others.

"Next."

The office boy came next, and he was donned in an exquisite suit. Eric was his name. It seemed he was still trying to show off that he had money, but I had to admit that he was a little bit more appealing in the video. He wasn't as good looking as the others, but he seemed sweet.

"Businessman," I said to myself, realizing that I liked it.

He grinned broadly, thinking that the name made him sound important. But looking at him, I began to think that Rosalie might have been right, it didn't look like he had any sort of passion. I certainly gave him a nickname that indicated that. He went off to get his name tag.

"Next," I called, noticing that there were only two left.

I looked up to see the tall British red head. He had come the least closest to me, and I vaguely wondered why. I gazed at him, smiling softly at the freckles that were spattered across his nose. His bright red hair clashed loudly with the red shirt he was wearing.

"Hello," he said, sending the beautiful accent into the air around me. All I could see was red when I looked at him, and his accent made the perfect name come into my mind.

"King," I said to him. He reminded me of a British king with his intimidating stance and lovely tone. He laughed quietly at something unknown to me and shook his head, turning to get his nickname.

One left, "Next."

It was the beautiful green eyed boy. The last tape that we had seen. The one who had seemed reluctant to come at all. And I drew in a breath of air, for he had startled me like none of the other boys had. He was ridiculously handsome, even better now that he was so close. He was looking at me curiously, and then broke out into a genuine but adorable crooked smile.

"Handsome," I said automatically, for all the other words I wanted to describe him with were inappropriate for TV.

He kept smiling and walked closer to where I sat. He bent down, took my hand in his, and gave it a small kiss. When he walked off to get his name tag, I noticed that my hand remained exactly where he had left it. I quickly drew it in and regained my composure before standing up.

Before I went out to mingle with the boys, I went over each of their nicknames in my head.

Jacob – Wolf

Mike – Home Boy

Tyler – Hot Rod

Zack – Preppy

Eric – Businessman

Ron – King

Edward – Handsome

I grinned, memorizing them all and stood up, ready to go out into the backyard to mingle with my guys


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own twilight or it's characters, or Edward, or the decision on who is going to play him in the movie.**

Just so you remember:

Edward – Handsome

Jacob – Wolf

Mike – Home Boy

Tyler – Hot Rod

Zack - Preppy

Ron – King

Eric - Businessman

**Edward's POV**

After I got my nametag – Handsome – I headed outside to the backyard with the rest of the contestants. I was quite satisfied with the name she had picked out for me, it was much better than being named after a wild animal.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets once I stepped out into the sunshine. I had originally been completely against coming here. I didn't want to be on TV, and the whole idea was ridiculous to me. But seeing Bella come down those stairs, I couldn't deny what I had felt. There was just something…_there_…when I saw her. I was attracted to her immediately.

I was going to set a goal for myself, winner or not, I want to get to know the real Bella, not the girl with the TV show.

I scowled, realizing it was impossible to think with all the noise around me. The six other guys were spread out around the pool and bar, laughing and throwing back drinks. I rolled my eyes, typical. I sat down on the nearest chair and lay back, letting the warmth of the sun wash over my face.

"Hey," said a voice behind me. Before I could turn around to see who it was, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I instinctively grabbed their wrist and spun them around, until I was face to face with a tall blond gelled up goon.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said with a smooth chuckle, "What's you're problem?"

"You scared me," I said, but at the same time released my hold on him. "Don't come up on me like that."

"Just trying to introduce myself," he replied with a smirk, "I'm Zack…or you can call me…Preppy."

I took a moment to glance at his collared shirt and washed out jeans.

"I'd rather not," I replied blankly.

He ignored my answer and bent his head in closer to me. "Listen, the real reason I came over here… is because of him." He stealthily nodded his head in the direction of the pool.

"Who?" I asked, unable to tell who he was referring to.

"The big one named Wolf…Jacob I think his name is."

"What about him?"

"He's trouble. I can already tell."

I didn't answer him, but looked into the direction where Jacob was standing. He was leaning against the bar with a beer in his hand, talking to the red head. I guess he felt our gazes, because he turned our way and narrowed his eyes.

"Got an eye problem _Preppy?"_ he sneered to the boy beside me. "Or is it me you want to date instead of Bella?"

All the rest of the guys started laughing. Jacob shot them a smug look.

Instead of having a comeback, Zack laughed light heartedly and strolled over to where Jacob was standing.

"Relax there buddy," said Zack, "I'm just trying to scope out my competition, size you guys up, see what I have-"

"Would you shut the hell up!" interrupted a boy who was currently lounging by the pool. "I can't hear over all your yappin' and I would like to fantasize about Bella in peace!"

My head snapped over in his direction. It was the boy she named Hot Rod…Tyler was his real name I think. I frowned, my protective instincts flaring. Guys like him were only interested in one thing, and it made me sick to know that he was thinking about Bella that way. I was just about to open my mouth and say something when someone beat me to it.

"Well that's all you're going to be doing," snapped the one she named Home Boy. "Fantasizing. I can already tell she likes me, I've got this competition in the bag!"

"Oh yeah?" Tyler retorted standing up. "Says who? You…_Mama's_ boy??"

Mike grit his teeth and stalked over to him until their chests were inches apart. All us guys crowded around, ready to intervene. They both looked menacing, waiting for the other one to make the first move.

"Fellas, Fellas," Zach drawled in his cheery tone, stepping in between them. He had a big grin on his face, I could tell that he was enjoying all this drama and made a mental note not to trust him. "No need for hostility? This is a friendly competition."

"Yeah right," muttered the boy beside me. He was wearing a business suit and I knew he must have been sweltering under this heat. I glanced at his nametag: businessman. He looked really out of place among the rest of us. "Such immaturity," he said condescendingly, shaking his head in the direction of Mike and Tyler.

"So," said the red head on my other side, clearing his throat. "This is America huh?"

I laughed and nodded.

The patio doors opened and Bella came out followed by about three cameraman. As if on cue, all the guys spread out and plastered smiles on their faces for the camera. I rolled my eyes.

Bella must have seen me, because she gave me a slightly hurt look and turned away.

_Great_. Now she thinks I'm not happy to see her. I would have to try and explain the real reason to her later, that is if we got some alone time at all. I watched all the guys swarming around her and knew that getting her by herself was going to be agonizingly difficult. I walked forward and tried to get as close to her as I could, but still ended up near the back. Jacob of course, was right beside her.

I watched as the cameras circled around us, trying to capture every movement that she made. I could tell she was slightly uncomfortable, which made me feel a little bit better.

"Hey guys," she said in a sweet voice. "Now that you've all got your nicknames, we're going to get started right away. I've got some good news, and some bad news."

I felt movement beside me, and turned to see Tyler trying to push me out of the way to get closer. I shoved against him and he shot me a dark look.

"The good news is that we're going to have a competition today, and the winner gets to go on a date with me tonight."

We all erupted in cheers. She laughed and held up her hands.

"The bad news is, that there is an elimination ceremony at midnight, and unfortunately one of you is going home. But I must warn you, the loser of the competition isn't necessarily the one going home, I'm the one that decides who I want here."

I breathed a sigh of relief after that, but it didn't calm me down. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins at the thought of winning that date with her. I wanted it. But as I looked around at all the other guys, I knew they were thinking the same things that I was.

"What's the competition?" asked Jacob eagerly. I could see the fire in his eyes and his hands clenching in anticipation.

"You'll see…Follow me boys," she instructed, waggling her finger for us to follow her.

**Bella's POV**

I led the boys around to the side of house where the first competition was set up. I couldn't believe I was making them do this, but I really didn't have any say in what the contests were going to be. _It's all for television_, my manager had told me.

But as we turned the corner and the plates came into view, my stomach lurched in pity for them. They were not going to be happy with me after this one. I wanted to apologize beforehand, but I couldn't show my true emotions while the cameras were rolling.

"All right boys, you will see that there are seven plates, one for each of you." I gestured to the long table in front of me. "Whoever finishes what's on their plate first is the winner, and gets the date with me."

I saw a couple of smiles break out on their faces. They were no doubt feeling confident about their usual amount of food intake and probably thought this challenge was going to be simple. They were certainly in for a big surprise. The boys walked around to the back and stood in place, each behind a plate. Edward, the one I named Handsome, was closest to me. The second he met my eyes, he gave me a bright smile. I couldn't help but smile back. I secretly hoped that he would be able to pull through and win this one so we could have some time to ourselves. I couldn't deny that his mysteriousness was intriguing.

Wolf cleared his throat loudly, drawing my attention to him.

I smiled and decided to drop the bomb on them.

"On the count of three, I want you to lift the plate covers," I said, walking around so I was facing them. "One…two…three!"

They all lifted them at the same time and glanced down at their plates.

A strong putrid smell immediately attacked the air around us.

"What the _bloody_ hell is this?" said Ron tearing his eyes away from the food and looking at all of us incredulously. "Is this what you eat over here?"

"Hell no!" said Hot Rod in a strained voice, sniffing the air then slightly gagging. "What is this Bella?"

"Cow testicles," I answered, trying to keep a straight face. "Whoever can eat their plate clean, wins the date with me." I tried to convey to them that it wasn't my idea, but for once they weren't paying attention to me.

"There's like six of them on here!" said a weak voice. It was Businessman, and he looked as pale as a ghost. I saw him wipe his arm across his forehead that was shimmering with sweat. "And there so…big," he gulped.

"You've got to finish all six," I told them, fingering the whistle around my neck.

"Well then let's get this party started," said Jacob in a strong tone. He rubbed his hands quickly together in anticipation. I chuckled, at least someone was enthusiastic. To his left, Edward, who hadn't said a word, was staring hard down at this plate, almost as if he was psyching himself up. For some reason… it was sexy.

"Once I blow my whistle, you can start eating, there's no time limit."

I brought the whistle up to my mouth and wrapped my lips around it and blew…hard.

The second the whistle sounded, Jacob and Edward stuffed the largest testicle in their mouths and roughly began to chew. Edward was gripping the edge of the table for support with his eyes closed, while Jacob's face was screwed up in disgust. However, they both swallowed in record time and automatically reached for the next one.

To Jacob's right was Zack who seemed to be taking his time. He had a testicle cupped in his hand, but was holding it as far away as possible. Every time he went to take a bite, he chickened out and turned his head away.

To Zack's right was Mike, who was also trying his best to eat as quickly as possible. He was trying to go as fast as Jacob and Edward but was failing because he kept gagging. He was sweating profusely and kept having to wipe it away with his shoulder. Grease covered the edges of his mouth, and large chunks of it were falling onto his shirt.

To his right was Ron, who was still shocked that something like this was legal and allowed to go on. He hadn't touched the testicles on his plate, and was watching Hot Rod, who was next to him, in horror.

Hot Rod was trying to swallow everything without chewing. His face had turned bright red, and for a second I was worried that he was going to choke. But he kept breaking off the slimy pieces and shoving them into his mouth. His eyes looked manic, and he was the only one who had chosen to sit down.

The last at the table was Businessman, who was currently throwing up the tiny bit that he had eaten. His throw up mixed with the smell of the testicles was agonizing. I backed away, but for some reason, I couldn't _look_ away.

I turned back to Edward and Jacob and saw that they both only had two left on their plate. It was obvious that it had become a competition between the two, because they would steal glances at each other's plates in between bites. They were eating faster than ever, and both were showing no signs of letting up.

I saw them both reach down for their last one and stuff it into their mouth, basically at the same time. _Concentrate Bella, this is going to be a close one._

Their mouths were on overdrive, and they were both looking up at me, waiting for the second that every piece of food made it down their throats.

Jacob opened his mouth to me to prove that it was empty a split moment before Edward did. Jacob was the winner.

I smiled in his direction, communicating that he had won.

Edward growled and knocked his plate off the table. "Sorry," he mumbled a second later as he went to pick it up. I felt a pang inside, I kind of did want him to win, but Jacob had clearly finished first.

Business and Mike were currently keeled over throwing up everything that had made it into their stomachs. Ron was shaking his head, and Hot Rod looked pissed. Zack, who also hadn't eaten a thing, was wiping off his hands on his jeans.

"Wow! I'm impressed, some of you tried really hard," I said in my most convincing tone. I was a little turned on, but grossed out at the same time. "But there can only be one winner, and that's you Wolf. Be ready by 8:00."

He put his tongue in his cheek and nodded his head at me, smiling. The cameras shut off and I went inside to get ready. I needed to get away from the smells that were overwhelming me.

"Congratulations Jacob," said a snide voice that I recognized as Hot Rod's. "I guess we all know who the best ball gobbler is."

I was sure he wouldn't have made that comment if he knew I was in hearing distance. But I wasn't going to let on that I had heard him.

I decided that after my date with Jacob and before elimination at midnight, I was going to try and spend some time with each of the guys, get to know them before I had to kick one of them out of my house.

At 7:55, I took one last look in the mirror, and headed out into the hallway to meet Jacob for our date. But as I was grabbing my clutch, I heard a soft knock on the door.

I opened it, and my stomach flipped at the sight of Edward standing there. He had on a tight fitting t-shirt that showed off the precise definition of his upper body, and athletic shorts that just looked so damn hot.

"Hi," I whispered, finally meeting his eyes.

"Hi," he answered. He blinked rapidly for a second and quickly looked me over. "You look…amazing," he said sincerly.

"Thank you _Handsome_," I blushed.

He smiled and cleared his throat. "I just stopped by to…I feel like…I'm sorry about my audition tape," he finally blurted out.

I gave him a quizzical look. I was half aware of the pain in my hand from clenching the doorframe. "What do you mean?"

"I just probably made it seem like I didn't want to come," he said quietly, looking down. "But…I want nothing more than to be here…you know, with you."

My stomach twisted itself up, causing a smile to break out across my face.

"I'm glad you're here too Edward. And good job today, I thought you were going to come out the winner for a second there."

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. "Me too, but there's always tomorrow right?" He looked up at me hopefully.

"Well you got to make it through eliminations first," I smirked at him. I was definitely keeping him around; he wasn't up for elimations tonight. I winked at him, letting him know that he was safe. His face lit up, and he was just about to step closer when a cameraman came whipping around the corner.

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't like this whole TV thing," he said. "I wish we had more time off camera."

"Me too," I sighed. "This wasn't exactly my idea. But we can talk about that later."

"Promise?" he said with a smile.

I stuck out my pinky, and he grabbed it laughing.

"Hey, hey, hey," said a husky voice. "Paws off my date."

Edward stepped back and raised both hands in surrender. "Paws are off…_Wolf_."

Jacob stepped up and swept me into a big hug. He smelled like the fresh outdoors. "You look absolutely beautiful," he said, putting me down to admire my outfit.

"I told her that first," said Edward, glaring at Wolf.

"Yes," answered Jacob, without taking his eyes off me. "But I get to enjoy it. Shall we?" he said, holding out his arm for me.

I gave Edward one last timid smile, and headed downstairs for my date with Jacob.

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Bella's POV**

"Alright Bella," said Alice, plopping down onto my carpet. "Let's figure out who's going home tonight." She had a notepad in front of her and had her pen already on the paper. I knew she wanted to weigh out the pros and cons of each contestant.

"Can you at least tell us about your hot date with Jacob first?" said Rosalie. She was lying across my bed, braiding a piece of my hair that had fell out from it's twist.

I sighed and leaned back to recount my dinner with Jacob.

­

"_Thanks Wolf," I said as he held out my chair for me. He pushed me into the table effortlessly, and then went to sit down in his own seat. _

_He leaned across the table and grabbed both of my hands in his. _

"_There was no way I wasn't going to lose out on this opportunity to be alone," he said softly, rubbing his thumbs over my knuckles. "I really like you already Bella."_

_I looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but honesty. _

"_I like you too," I replied. "Your audition tape was one of my favorites, that beach was so beautiful."_

_He smiled, and as the night went on, he told me about his family and I told him about mine. We talked about things we liked to do, and I found out that he liked to take risks and have fun, just like me. That was something that I really liked about him. He even promised to teach me how to ride a motorcycle._

_At the end of our dinner, he gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. _

­­­­­­­­­

"It went well," I said finally. "He stays."

Rose dropped my hair and clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes! Bella he so hot! I think he's my favorite!"

Alice on the other hand, nodded and marked something down on her paper. What happened when you came home, with the other guys?

"Well, the second I came back in from my date, Zack met me at the door and draped his arm around my shoulders," I laughed.

"_My lovely Bella_," I mimicked in his light tone. "_You're finally home_." Rose and Alice tumbled back on the bed giggling.

I told them all about how I had spent a half hour with Zack, and he had me laughing the entire time.

"He's so funny," I said, "He was telling me the best stories about when he was in High School, he definitely got in much more trouble than we ever did! And then after that, I talked to Tyler for a while."

"And?" said Alice, "What's he like?"

"Well, he's very…affectionate, but very sweet too. He walked me outside and sat with me on the grass, telling me about his interests, like cars and stuff."

Alice was scribbling furiously on her paper, so I just continued talking.

"After an hour or so, Ron came over and took me away. But…I don't know…one thing I noticed was he seemed sort of distracted…like he wasn't really looking at me when we were talking."

"His accent is to _DIE_ for," sighed Rosalie, ignoring my comment about him.

"Maybe he's shy," supplied Alice. _Hm_, I thought…maybe that was it?

I shrugged. "I only spent about fifteen minutes with him because Mike interrupted us and brought me into his room to show me his trophies."

Rosalie stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag herself.

"He wants to impress you," said Alice. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah but… he sure has a lot! I'm surprised he lugged them all out here with him."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I don't like him."

Alice scowled in response. "And what about Edward?"

"Edward's not going anywhere." I blushed and looked down at my hands. There was no way I would be sending Edward home.

"He's my favorite," said Alice, looking at Rose.

"OH!" I suddenly cried interrupting her, my hands flew to either side of my head. "I totally forgot to tell you guys, look at this!"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small gold bracelet.

"Bella! That's so pretty," whispered Alice, grabbing the gold out of my hand. "Where did you get it?"

"Eric _gave_ it to me!" I told them with my eyes wide. "Right before I came up here, he stopped me in the hallway and told me that he had bought it for me the day before he came here."

"Wow," said Rosalie, looking at the bracelet in awe.

"Anyways," I said to them, walking over to the put bracelet on my night stand. "I've made my decision."

After I told them who it was, they nodded.

"I completely agree," said Alice.

"Me too, 100 percent." said Rose. "Now let's get you ready for that ceremony."

**Author's Note: This is a small extra chapter of the conversation they are going to have before every ceremony. I am probably always going to post it this way, separate from the competition chapters, just because I want to see what everyone thinks!**

**SO WHO IS IT! WHO'S GOING HOME! **

**P.S - I already have the complete order in my head, so nobody's answers are going to sway the final decision. ******


	5. Chapter 5

**AND THE CONGRATULATIONS GO TO!**

**Lei1378, Mcaz, and xomonoamorox! Three people that not only guessed who, but why this person would be going home! **

**And this chapter is dedicated to bloody amerpsand, who had a rough day and whose message I didn't get until this morning! So this is for you.**

**Edward's POV**

11:59 pm.

The elimination ceremony was about to begin. The guys and I stood on large podiums at the bottom of the stairs. Myself, Jacob, Zack, and Ron stood in the back row, while Tyler, Eric, and Mike stood in between us, a stair lower. We all had our hands clasped behind our backs.

No one was talking. I was sure they were all as nervous as I was. I mean, I didn't _think_ I was going home, I was pretty sure she hinted that to me last night, but you never know. Maybe after her date with Jacob, she realized who she wanted. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, thinking about her wanting anyone else. I was already way more invested in this than I wanted to be.

The clock chimed midnight, and her theme song came pounding out of the speakers. Bella appeared at the top of the staircase, looking like an absolute goddess. She had her hair down, with a long midnight blue dress. It was stunning.

Behind her walked down two other girls that we had never seen before. One was smaller and had short black hair, while the other girl was taller and had long blond hair. They were both pretty, but I realized that in my mind they didn't compare to Bella. I knew that no one would ever compare to her after this. Not that anyone had before, it was like she was my missing piece or something that I just figuring out I needed.

The two girls followed Bella down the stairs in silence. Each of their footsteps was like a dark echo in my mind, as if I was headed off to an execution.

_Calm down Edward_, I told myself. I briefly glanced at the other guys around me, they were certainly as nervous as I was. Well, except Zack who was standing right next to me, he had a smirk on his face. I wish I was that confident.

Bella made it to the bottom of the steps and turned to face us. The cameras flanked her on either side just as the music cut off. As she took her spot, she kept a blank expression and that made me even more nervous. I couldn't even read her decision off her body language. Her friends sat gracefully on two chairs that were placed beside her, almost like they were her bodyguards.

I heard Tyler softly whistle under his breath, and snapped my head in his direction. Figures he was checking out the other girls, what a scum bag.

"Welcome everyone," she began in a soft voice. "To our first elimination ceremony."

Nobody responded, we all just waited for her to continue.

"First things first, I would like to introduce you to my two best friends in the entire world, Rose and Alice," she gestured to the two sitting next to her. "They are here to give me advice and support, but just so it's clear, the final decisions are _always_ mine."

I felt myself nodding, I didn't know if that made me feel better or worse.

She turned to Alice who immediately reached under her chair and pulled out a worn wooden box. She handed it to Bella who placed it on a small table beside her. She unlatched the golden hook, and inside it were six sparkling heart chains. I shifted my feet anxiously, hoping with everything I had that one of them was for me.

"I have six chains in this box," she began, "And seven guys before me."

She reached in to take out the first heart chain, and held it up in front of her.

"This first chain is for a guy, who didn't go overboard with trying to impress me, but ended up doing so anyways. He's sweet and honest, and I can't deny the undeniable attraction I feel when I see him. I'm definitely not ready to let you go…Handsome, this chain is for you."

The blood pounded in my ears, and my heart burst open at her words. _Did I really just get the first chain? _I didn't even realize the breath I was holding, but I finally let it out, shaking my head in relief.

I stepped between the two guys in front of me and walked over to her. I couldn't wipe the large grin off of my face, and it seems that she couldn't either. She placed the chain around my neck and kept her hands on my shoulders.

She bent down and whispered in my ear, "I keep my pinky promises."

I chuckled, her words making me feel as light as air. I grabbed her hand kissed it briefly, and turned to head back to my spot.

I didn't miss the glares the guys were all giving me, but I didn't care a bit, I was on top of the world, and I was more determined than ever to bring Bella with me.

I turned around and saw her pulling another chain out of her box.

"This next chain is for a guy that I connected with right away. He makes me comfortable and happy, and we just…get along so well together. I feel safe with you, and I like it…Wolf, this chain is for you."

She held out the chain, and gave him a big smile. He swept in between the other guys and gathered her in a big hug. She laughed, and I watched as she put the chain around his neck. I frowned as I hoped she didn't like Jacob more than me.

If I knew one thing, I knew that he was my biggest competition.

He went back to his spot, grinning as widely as I was before.

She pulled out a third chain, and chuckled as she looked at it.

'Now, this third chain is for a guy that made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. Your funny, charming, and I can't wait to spend more time with you…I had so much fun. Preppy, come down here, this is for you."

Zack threw his hands up dramatically and did a little victory twirl. I thought it was obnoxious, but it made Bella smile. He trotted down to receive his chain, and when he turned back to us he took a bow. I rolled my eyes, how could she keep this guy around?

He took his place beside me and waggled his eyebrows, I ignored him.

"This fourth chain is for a man that I haven't had much time to get to know yet. But you're warm and inviting, not to mention very appealing to the ears. I'm interested to learn more about you…King, this chain's for you."

I turned to see the tall British red-head smile, noticing that it didn't touch his eyes. What was his deal? Maybe he was mad that he was picked fourth or something.

"Psst," whispered Zack, nudging me with his shoulder. "That ones hiding something."

I didn't answer, but in my head I agreed with him. There was something up with that one. He was always quiet and thoughtful, keeping to himself. I had only seen him let loose once, and he was actually really funny. He seemed like one of those happy type guys, so something must be weighing on his mind. But I wasn't going to worry myself with it, I was sure Zack would figure it out.

Bella chuckled as she had to stand on her tip toes to put the chain around his neck.

I looked around and counted, there were three guys left. Mike, Tyler, and Eric. They all looked they were on the brink of panicking. I was personally hoping she would send home Tyler, because he was beginning to really piss me off. He was always talking about what a great body Bella had, and telling all of us what he wanted to do with her. Jacob and I had to shut him up about five times already.

"This next guy is sweet and his enthusiasm for everything is contagious. I appreciate how much he's trying, and proving to me that he really wants to be here…Home Boy, this is for you."

She smiled and held out her chain.

Mike let out a huge breath and pumped his fist in victory. He flew over to Bella to get his chain, almost as if he was winning some sort of trophy. He was breathing heavily as he stood in front of her.

I could see her blond headed friend trying to hold in her laughter.

There was one more chain in that box, and I desperately hoped that it wasn't for Tyler. He was no where near good enough for her, and had been nothing but vulgar and annoying.

But to our surprise, she didn't grab the last chain.

Behind her, I saw her two friends smile at each other and nod.

She stood there for a moment, looking at all of us with a serious expression.

"Would the final two, please step forward."

Eric and Tyler both got off the podium to stand before her. Eric had gone pale, and Tyler looked as if he was trying to control his temper. I tensed up, waiting for something to happen.

"I have two of you standing before me, and one chain in this box. I was afraid that this choice was going to be difficult, only to get harder and harder each week. But one of you has made my first decision very easy."

Instead of grabbing the chain, she reached for her wrist, and unclasped a gold bracelet. _What was she doing? _The five of us that already had chains, turned to each other with confused expressions.

"Businessman," she said, looking directly at him. "This is a beautiful bracelet. But I want to make it clear, to each and every one you, that you can't buy my heart. I'm looking for love, and passion, and a real connection."

She dropped the bracelet into his hand.

"I'm not that type of girl, so Businessman, I'm sorry, but _I'm not falling for you._"

We all watched as she unhooked the last chain and placed it around Tyler's neck.

"Hot Rod," she said, "You're a great guy…in front of me that is. I've heard a few of the comments you've made when you thought I wasn't listening. But there is something that still attracts me to you… so… you've got another shot."

He nodded and ran his hands through his hair.

Although I did want Tyler to go home, I couldn't help but admire her at that moment. So many women would have kept Eric around, let him shower her with presents…but not my Bella.

She was continuing to surprise me, in a very good way.

"Well that's it," she said in a bright voice. "The six of you are still safe. And now that it is past midnight and the elimination ceremony is over, I would recommend getting some sleep tonight." She gave us a coy wink and stepped off the podium. "You'll need all the rest you can get for our challenge tomorrow." We all watched as she and her two friends ascended the stairs, giggling about something as they turned the corner.

"AND CUT!" a man yelled from off to the side. The bright lights dimmed down, and crew workers came bustling in from every side. The magic of the moment was gone, and we all stepped off our platforms talking quietly.

"Hey Red!" called Zack, loud enough so everyone would hear. The tall British man turned around and raised his eyebrows. It didn't seem as if he liked being called by that nickname, and I couldn't blame him.

"Yes?"

"What's your deal, do you even like Bella?" said Zack in an innocent voice, but I knew better. He was trying to trick him into explaining his aloofness, and from the look on Ron's face, he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Bella's a _great_ girl," he responded sincerely, looking directly in Zack's eyes. His face still looked calm, but his cheeks betrayed him, they were turning a bright shade of red.

"That's not what I asked," sang Zack in an obnoxious voice, "I asked if you like her."

"Why don't you lay off him," I interrupted as I stepped forward. Zack was annoying the hell out of me and I couldn't sit back and watch anymore. He was always trying to start some trouble, and I wouldn't let him this time. Ron was one of the only other decent guys in the house, and he didn't deserve it.

Zack laughed at my comment and shrugged his shoulders.

"Looks like someone here has a got a little confidence boost," he said, his tone turning more serious.

"Well, he did get the first and chain and all," said a rough voice that I knew belonged to Jacob. I turned to see him walking toward me. I narrowed my eyes and made to face him.

"Jealous?" I asked casually.

"Very much so," he replied, unashamed.

"I'm getting the first chain next time," said Mike in a serious voice. He was sitting down on the stairs with his head in his hands. "I'll make sure of it."

Everyone ignored him.

Just then Eric walked down the stairs, dragging a suitcase behind him. He looked thoroughly upset and defeated. Instead of his usual business suit, he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"Tough luck mate," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

Eric nodded and shoved past us without another word. I couldn't get out of my head how sad he looked. I knew if I got eliminated that was exactly how I would feel, probably even worse. Suddenly, after seeing Eric's face, this competition became so much more serious. I _had _to win. I couldn't let Bella end up with another one of these guys. I couldn't.

We all watched as the door slammed shut behind him, and of course it was Zack who broke the silence.

"So Tyler, how do you feel now that Bella found out you're a pervert?"

Tyler, who had been quiet the whole time, glanced up at him with murderous eyes.

"I'm still here aren't I?" he sneered. "She still likes me; I've got the same shot as the rest of you now." He got up and stomped off to his room, but not before he threw another menacing glare at us.

"Temper, temper," Zack said, shaking his head, watching him retreat back up the stairs. "He's likely to go off at any moment."

"Of course," snapped an angry Ron. "Especially the way you keep pushing him like that."

Zack raised his hands in surrender. "Well, well, well, that's the most life I've seen out of you yet, Red."

Ron growled softly, but turned to head up the stairs as well, mumbling to himself. I thought I caught the word _muggles_, but I must have heard wrong because that didn't make any sense.

Zack, noticing he was chasing people out of the room, settled his eyes on Mike, who still was sitting on the stairs. I saw his eyes light up, and I knew he could smell weakness. As if on cue, he walked over and put his hand on Mike's shoulder.

"What's got you down buddy?" he asked, turning to lead him up the stairs. As Mike spoke, he began to shake his head in silent understanding, but I could almost hear the wheels spinning in his head. I watched as they both disappeared from view, leaving only Jacob and I.

"A bunch of losers," he finally said, coming to stand right next to me. I didn't answer, but I knew he wasn't really expecting one.

"You know as well as I do that we are each other's biggest competition," he said softly, but seriously.

I didn't want to agree with him, but I did. There was no one in the house I was threatened by more than Jacob. Not just because he got the second chain, but because I could tell that Bella liked him. And even though I had been called first, he already had the advantage of taking her out on a date. I hadn't even won a competition yet.

I gave him a slight nod, and he turned to face me, coming pretty close to my face. I took a step back and narrowed my eyes. I didn't want him to think he could intimidate me, so I made sure we were looking right at each other.

"I want Bella," he whispered. "I'm going to do everything I can to win this."

"I want Bella too," I told him. "More than you do, and I'm not leaving."

He took a step back and ran his eyes over my face. He broke out into a smile and walked backwards to the stairs.

"See you tomorrow then," he said with a grin.

After a moment, I headed upstairs myself, eager to get some sleep. I was going to make sure I was ready for the second competition. I was going to win my alone time with Bella.


	6. Chapter 6

**Bella's POV**

"God, I'm glad that's over," I said, flopping onto my bed. Even though I was completely sure of my decision to send Eric home, it still wasn't something that I enjoyed doing. However, I did think the whole thing was going to be more difficult. I assumed after watching their videos, that they were all going to be amazing guys, and I would never be able to decide. But I was already finding out that this wasn't the case.

"Did you see his face when you gave him back the bracelet," chirped Alice, coming to sit next to me. "He was shocked!"

"Not as shocked as Mike was when you finally called him up, how funny was that?" interrupted Rosalie. "Can you send him home? I'm already tired of him."

I was just about to respond and remind her that it didn't matter what she thought and it was my choice when there was a knock on my door. _Who could that be?_

I dragged myself out of bed, and I heard Rose and Alice follow behind me.

I turned the knob, only to see Zack standing outside with his hands clasped behind his back.

"What's up?" I said casually, leaning against the door frame.

"Hello Bella," he said in a sweet tone, "I was wondering if I could talk to you for moment."

I looked at Alice and she shrugged.

"Sure, come on in." I stepped aside and he made his way into my room. He stopped about halfway to my bed and spun to face me.

"Bella," he sighed. "There's something that I need to talk to you about."

My face scrunched up in confusion, _why was he so upset_?

"Yes?" I put my hands on my hips.

"Well," he sighed again. "It's…Tyler."

"Tyler? What about him? Is he okay?" I asked, now concerned.

"Well, it depends on what you mean by _okay._ See, I have reason to believe that Tyler is dangerous." He replied in a sad tone, looking thoroughly put out.

"Dangerous?" said Rosalie, coming up to stand beside me. "What do you mean?"

"He's a loose cannon Bella, and it's obvious he has extreme temper problems. Standing down there at eliminations, I was actually concerned for your safety, and for the rest of the contestants. Who knows what he is capable of? I hate to think of him here in this house with you, it's just not safe."

At the end of his speech, he had fixed his face into a mask of extreme concern.

I didn't speak for a moment, trying to take in everything that he had said. Rose and Alice were silent beside me, so I was pretty sure they were doing the same thing.

"Well," I finally spoke, uncrossing my arms. "Thank you for all your advice, I will take everything you told me into account."

"Great," he said he said brightly, walking toward the door. "Have a good night Bella, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night," I replied.

**Edward's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, everyone else was still asleep. We weren't going to start filming for another two hours, so I decided to take advantage of my extra time. I went outside and ran for about an hour, just to get my blood pumping.

I went back inside, took a quick shower, and then headed back into my room that I shared with Ron and Jacob. Jacob was doing pushups on the floor, and Ron was staring absently at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. I decided to speak and ask him what was wrong; maybe I could help.

"Hey," I said, sitting down and throwing my bag onto the floor. "You alright?"

He shrugged in response. "Not really."

"Want to talk about it?"

He turned to look at me and appraised me for a moment, apparently deciding on whether or not he could trust me. He shifted his body so he was propped up on his elbow.

"You ever been in love?" he finally said. "Like…really in love?"

His comment unnerved me. That was not what I had been expecting at all. Now that I had asked, I would have done anything to take it back. The last thing I wanted to do was sit and talk about was how much he was in love with Bella.

But seeing the tortured look his face, I decided to answer. I let myself think about it for a minute before I responded. Before I came here, I had definitely never been in love, not once. I had random flings and a few girlfriends, but no one had ever made me feel remotely interested in becoming serious. But Bella was different; I felt it in my heart. And somewhere deep in the pit of my stomach, I knew I was falling for her.

I nodded, accepting my answer. "Yeah."

He flopped onto his back. "Me too."

I frowned. I knew how much _I_ cared about Bella, but what if these other guys really did too? No. They couldn't possible feel what I was feeling, because there wasn't any room for anybody else.

"Good morning all," said a loud voice from the doorway. I turned just as Zack came strolling in.

"Get out of our room," said Jacob, picking himself up off the floor. Like me, Jacob had no tolerance for Zack. He was constantly causing drama and trying to turn everyone against each other. Hating him was probably the only thing we had in common, besides our desire for Bella.

Zack chuckled. "Just here to tell you that we're meeting downstairs in fifteen minutes."

"Consider your message delivered," Jacob responded, walking over and shoving him out of the room. He slammed the door and cracked his neck angrily as he walked away.

"It gets harder and harder for me not to punch that guy everyday."

"Gods, me too," said Ron, sitting up and looking at Jacob. "In fact, I've been thinking, anyone up for a little fun?" He smiled mischievously and went to sit on the edge of his bed.

Jacob and I regarded each other for a moment. There was so much tension between us, that I couldn't see myself working with him to do anything. But when he nodded slightly, lips curling up in a slight smirk, I turned to Ron.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, leaning in closer.

Ron smiled, looked at the door to make sure it was closed, and began whispering his plan.

**Bella's POV**

I watched from the bottom of the staircase, as my six guys came down for their second challenge. Tyler was first, and he had a big smile on his face. It seemed he was eager to prove himself to me after he almost got eliminated last night.

Some of the other guys were looking at the table that I was standing in front of. I knew they had no idea what to expect after yesterday's challenge, but they were sure in for a big surprise. This was another one that the producers had thought up, and I felt bad having to force them through this, but…it was out of my hands.

Once everyone made it downstairs, they grouped together, looking anxiously between myself and the table.

"Good morning everyone," I said brightly. "Everyone have a good night sleep?"

"I did," called Mike sweetly from somewhere in the back. "Only because I dreamt of you."

Tyler snorted and I saw Edward pressing his lips together to try and keep from laughing. Ron, who was standing right next to him, had bent his head to hide his expression.

But to my surprise, Jacob fell into a coughing fit, directing my attention over towards him. He was hacking uncontrollably, and I was just about to ask if he was alright, when he stood up, panting heavily.

"Sorry," he said in a rough breathy voice. "I was choking on all the desperation in this room."

That did it and the whole group erupted in laughter. Mike was glaring at him, now too ashamed to catch my eye. But when he finally did look my way, I gave him a big smile to make him feel a little bit better.

I cleared my throat, "Anyways," I said with a chuckle, "Are you guys ready for your second challenge?"

A chorus of "Yeahs!" filled the room around me. I smiled at their enthusiasm, completely surprised. I was sure that after yesterday, they would be wary of whatever I had planned for them.

"Well let's get started, put these on, and meet me outside in five minutes." I gestured to the table where there were six identical outfits.

**Edward's POV**

I watched as Bella walked outside. She looked beautiful today.

"Damnit, what the hell are we doing now," said someone behind me. I turned around to see Tyler holding up a red jumpsuit, and a swimmer's mask.

My stomach twisted a bit, why would we need a mask? But I straightened up quickly, and walked over to the jumpsuit and mask with my name on it. I didn't care what we were doing, all I knew was that I was going to win, and I would finally get my date with Bella.

Within minutes, we had all stripped our clothes, put on the suit, and followed each other outside. Mike was the only one who had already put on his mask. I knew it was because he thought it made him seem the most prepared.

But the second I stepped through the patio doors, my mouth immediately went dry.

Bella and her two friends were standing on a set up podium, and circled around her were six clear empty tanks. I knew right away that we were going to be laying in them, and even though that made me nervous, I sucked it up and walked forward.

We all kind of fell into a silence as we approached, waiting for her explanation.

Bella caught my gaze for a second, and gave me what seemed like an apologetic smile. But right after, she narrowed her eyes playfully and winked, causing adrenaline to flood my veins.

She wanted me to win. She was basically _telling _me to win. A smile spread across my lips so fast, and I promised myself that no matter what it was, I would do it, and I would do it better than all the other guys.

"Welcome," she said, "To your second challenge. As you can see, there are six empty tanks in front of me, one for each of you. When I blow my whistle, you are going to get in and lay down, making sure that your hands and head are touching the bottom. Now, you aren't going to be alone in these tanks. I have brought some special friends that will be joining you."

At that, she looked up, and waved to the side of the house. Six men filed out, each carrying a large black duffel bag. _Oh god._

They each went and stood next to a different tank, placing the duffel bag gently onto the floor beside it. I took a peek at the bag, noticing that it was moving.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to prepare myself for whatever it was. I glanced back at Bella for more motivation.

"Every fifteen minutes," Bella continued. "Something else will be added into your tank. Whoever can last the longest will win breakfast with me tomorrow. Normally it would be dinner, but we've got some special guests coming over tonight."

I didn't think too much about who would be coming over because I was trying to concentrate on the task at hand. I kept taking deep breaths, trying to keep myself calm. I knew I was doing better than some of the other guys, who were either cursing slightly under their breaths, or eyeing the bags in horror.

Bella put the whistle playfully up to her lips, smiled at us, and then blew it…hard.

I pulled on my mask and climbed slowly into the tank, making sure that my palms and head were touching the bottom just as she had said. All the duffel bags unzipped at the same time, and the next sound I heard made my stomach drop to my toes.

_Snakes_

A faint hissing sound was emanating around us. My heartbeat sped up and I knew my chest was heaving uncontrollably. I didn't want the snake to sense my fear, so I concentrated on Bella to try and get myself under control.

"OH HELL NO!" someone shrieked in a high pitch voice from right beside me. I turned my head slightly to see Zack scrambling to get out of his tank. His face was ghastly pale, and once his feet hit the ground, he ran about ten feet away.

"I can't do snakes, Bella," he cried, rubbing his arms as if trying to wipe away the mere thought of it. "No way."

"Suit yourself," she replied. I heard her two friends snickering, and saw them lean over to whisper something to her.

But for once, all thoughts of Bella left my mind as I saw the trainer lean over with an albino snake clutched in his hands. He plopped it right onto my stomach, and I closed my eyes, forcing myself to think about anything else. It wasn't that big of a snake, probably only about three feet.

I could deal with it, I just had to keep breathing and keep my eyes closed.

I heard someone whimpering quietly, but I didn't dare move to see who it was.

"Mike, would you shut your mouth," Jacob snapped angrily.

I laughed to myself, causing the snake to bounce a little. After that slight movement, I felt him begin to move. It was like cool silk running over my skin, and I felt him slithering over my stomach. I tensed up, thanking god that I had a mask on.

I could tell that his little snake face was looking at me. I don't know what made me do it, but for some perverse reason, I opened my eyes to take a peek at him. And to my extreme relief, I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be. After that, I kept my eyes opened and watched him move across my body. It really wasn't too bad of an animal, and I was going to be able to deal with this.

But just as I was finally settling down, Bella blew her whistle, and I saw the snake trainer reach back into his bag. I took another breath; two is not much more than one. _I can do this, I can do this._

But my fears multiplied when the snake he pulled out was not only bigger, but had yellow and black stripes.

"Shit! I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die" I heard Mike squeal. And for once, I wasn't too far off from agreeing with him. He kept repeating the curse, getting louder and louder each time.

"Holy Christ!" cried Tyler. "What the hell is that?? Some sort of Amazon snake?!"

My trainer placed the snake right up by my chest, closer to my face. This one had to be about 5 feet long, and the yellow and black combination made him seem all the more dangerous.

I kept my eyes open to force myself to get used to the idea. The first snake was now down by my feet wrapping itself around my ankle. I resisted the urge to shake it off. Unlike the first snake, the second snake started moving the moment he was put down.

I watched in slight horror as he slid over my mask. All I could see was a round body, slowly slinking across my face. My heartbeat increased and I couldn't help but close my eyes again before I lost control.

"I'M DONE!" someone shouted, and I let out a small breath of air. "I'M DONE!" repeated the voice, and I could just see Mike heave himself out of his tank, shaking off a snake that was coiled around his arm.

_Two down, three to go_, I told myself. I was already getting used to the second snake, and Mike giving up gave me another boost of energy.

"How's everyone doing," said Bella's sweet voice. I saw her and her friends watching us. She looked nervous and her eyes were filled with guilt. I had a feeling that none of this stuff was her idea, and that she had to do it for the show. The thought gave me comfort. Although the comfort couldn't have come at a better time, because the next moment, I heard the shrill sound of the whistle.

I readied myself again, this time knowing what to expect.

The trainer bent down, this time with a snake that was already twisting its slim body violently. It was about as big as the second snake, and a mix of different types of brown and dark green. The second it was put down, it started slithering rapidly towards my neck. I tried not to shake or move, willing it to calm down.

The hissing inside the tank was echoing off the walls, slowly beginning to drive me crazy. The sound mixed with the feeling of the snakes over my body was getting harder and harder, but there was no way I was getting out. I wasn't going to give up. I was going to get that alone time.

After about another five minutes, I heard Jacob cry out.

"Hey! he screamed, trying to get someone's attention. "Hey! It's inside my pants leg! Get it out! It's keeps crawling further!"

I tried not to laugh, so I settled on thanking god that it wasn't happening to me.

"FUCK!" he growled, "Can I move it!?"

"I'm sorry," said the trainer, "But your palms and head have to stay touching the bottom."

Jacob let out a noise that was in between a scream and growl. I had never heard him this upset, so I knew the snake must be continuing to climb further toward his crotch.

I heard a rustling noise, and saw Jacob still inside the tank, but pulling the snake out of his pants.

Bella blew her whistle.

"I'm sorry Wolf, but you're disqualified."

I could tell that he wanted to flip out and fight it, but I knew he wouldn't say anything to Bella. I heard him take a deep breath, and watched him pull himself out of the tank. He walked by me and shot me a dark look.

_Me, Ron, and Tyler. _

Only two more, I can do this.

But six snakes later, it was obvious that the three of us were in it to win it. I hadn't heard a word from Ron, and although Tyler was complaining, he made no move to get out. I was covered from head to toe in slithering hissing snakes, and it was taking all my concentration not to give up. I would sneak a glance at Bella every now and then, and to my delight, sometimes I caught her staring at me. That was what was pushing me to win this.

"Alright you three," said Bella. "I am going to have to up the stakes here. It seems our special guests have arrived early, so instead of the trainers, I am going to have them place the snakes in your tanks."

_What was going on? _I thought, I definitely didn't want an unprofessional handling those snakes. And who were these special guests that she kept talking about?

It was silent for another moment, and I heard Bella's two friends laughing to themselves.

"Come on in girls!" cried Bella, smiling brightly.

All I wanted to do was whip my head around and see who she had called in, but I knew I couldn't move. I could tell that whoever it was wasn't good because I heard the guys who weren't still in the tanks gasp loudly.

"KELLY?! I heard Zack cry out.

_Who was Kelly??_

But before I could even begin to figure it out, I saw a shadow looming over the top of my tank. I tilted my head to the side, trying to get the snake off of my face so I could see who it was.

I felt two hands grasp the snake to move it off my face, and my throat tightened sickeningly when I saw who it was.

_Tanya_

_My ex girlfriend_

_Why was she here?!_

"Oh dear god," I heard Tyler shout. I looked over to see a blond girl standing over his tank frowning at him. "It's official, this _IS_ hell!"

Tanya was looking down at me, giving me her typical fake smile that she knew I couldn't _stand_. In reality, I couldn't stand anything about her. And this was definitely the last place on earth that I would ever want to see her.

But the most surprising reaction came from Ron, who had immediately jumped out of his tank at the sight of his ex girlfriend.

She was a petit brunette with wild curly hair, and she did not look too happy to see him. She definitely looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else on earth. Ron walked over to her right away, and I saw the same agonized look on his face that I had seen this morning during our talk.

_Hm, I wonder?_

"Hello Eddie," said Tanya in her drippy voice.

"Why are you here?" I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.

"You mean you don't know?" she said innocently. "Isabella invited all the ex girlfriends for dinner, so she can learn more about you guys."

My stomach plunged. I knew for a fact that Tanya would not have anything good to say about me. This could ruin my chance with Bella completely. I closed my eyes, trying to fight off the wave of nausea that had hit me. The truth of the matter was, that my heart was never into the relationship. I had only went out with her in the first place to please my parents, who were worried that I had commitment problems. I knew I didn't treat her that great, or do the things that good boyfriends were supposed to do, but I never loved her. And she hated me for it.

"SHE IS NOT GOING NEAR ME WITH THOSE SNAKES!" Tyler shouted, and he jumped out of his tank, tripping multiple times as he tried to put as much distance between him and his ex girlfriend.

The thought made me feel better; maybe I wasn't the only one who was going to get thrown under the bus.

_Wait a minute._

Did I just win??

Bella blew her whistle and ran over to me. She looked down and gave me a big smile. "Congratulations Handsome, you won! You've got yourself a breakfast date."

My mood shifted so quickly, that if I wasn't laying down I would have fell onto my knees. I had done it, I was the winner and I would _finally _get to be with her.

But as I went to get out of the tank, all I could see was Tanya smirking at me with her arms crossed.

_What if she ruined it for me?_

I looked around and saw that Ron and his ex girlfriend were speaking it quiet whispers. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that he was two seconds away from crying.

Tyler and his ex girlfriend were no where near each other. He kept looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting her to jump him or something.

Zack's ex girlfriend seemed as if she was made to be with him. She had on pink leg warmers, and her hair was teased and hair sprayed as some sort of 80's fashion statement I guess.

Mike and his ex girlfriend were standing awkwardly near each other, not really talking. I could almost feel the tension from where I was standing.

But the thing that bothered me the most was Jacob and his ex girlfriend. They were talking and laughing, in an obvious friendly way. It was apparent even to me that they were on good terms, and that she probably would put in a good word for him.

I scowled, now completely worried about what was going to happen.

Tyler came up to me shaking his head in disbelief.

"Man," he said breathlessly, "How did you manage to stay in there at the sight of your ex?"

I looked around to see if Tanya was within ear shot.

"Because," I whispered. "To tell you the truth, I would have rather been in there with snakes!"

**So what drama are all these ex girlfriends going to bring? What are Ron, Jacob, and Edward going to do to Zack? And who is going home!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bella's POV**

I tried to hide my excitement, but it was impossible. Edward had won the challenge just as I had hoped he would. I still wanted to get to know the other guys, but I was anxious to see how it would be alone with Edward. Looking over to where he stood, I saw him make a comment to Tyler, who in response began to laugh hysterically.

_I wonder what he said?_

My backyard was currently filled with people. The cameramen were relocating to inside of the house where we would be interviewing the guys' ex girlfriends. It hadn't been my idea to invite them over, but Rose, Alice, and the producers all agreed that it would be a perfect way for me to get to know the guys on a more intimate level.

But I knew for a fact, that inviting exes over was bound to cause more than a little trouble. I certainly wouldn't want to see any of my old flames here. Especially if I was on a dating show, trying to win someone's heart.

"Bella, that was PRICELESS!" laughed Rosalie, coming to stand by me. Her face was wild with enjoyment. "Shocking them with their exes while they are immersed in a tank full of snakes! HA! Congratulations on creating the most awkward situation _EVER_!"

I chuckled to myself, seeing their reactions had been amusing. Tyler had practically jumped out of his skin, while Edward looked like he wanted to bury himself and hide within the snakes. Ron however…that was a different story.

I was sure I was going to learn a lot by interviewing these girls.

I saw my manager, making a bee line for me as he crossed the yard. He had a clipboard in his hand and a cell phone was attached to his ear.

"Babe," he called, waving me down. "We've got to get these interviews finished before the dinner, let's round everyone up and head into the house."

I nodded, and stood back up on my podium. I cleared my throat loudly to get everyone's attention.

"I would like to thank all the girls for coming," I began. "We're going to get started right away with the interviews, so I need all of the ex girlfriends to follow me into the house. Guys – you have the next few hours to yourselves, so relax until dinner, which will be at six. "

All of the girls were staring at me, and it was hard not to feel intimidated by some of them. For instance, Edward's ex girlfriend was very beautiful and was currently shooting me death glares from about 3 feet away. I tried to ignore her, I was never really one for confrontation and I didn't want to start any problems.

I stepped off my podium and walked into the house, desperately wanting to get this whole thing over with.

"What a bitch," whispered Rose. I knew she was referring to Edward's girlfriend. "I say we do her first, let her know exactly whose show she is on and who she's messing with."

I was thankful that Rose and Alice would be interviewing the girls with me. The producers didn't agree to it at first, but I had insisted, saying that I needed the support. Who knows what these girls were going to say to me, and judging by the looks of some of them, I was more than a little worried about what was going to happen.

When I passed by Edward on my way into the house, I stopped and gave him my best smile.

"Great job again, Edward," I purred, in the most seductive voice I could manage. Although I was pretty sure I sounded like a mangled cat. His face broke into a grin and I shyly reached out to him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he responded to my hug with unabashed enthusiasm. As I reluctantly let go of him a moment later, I shot his ex girlfriend a slightly smug look.

I may not be a bitch, but I was still a girl.

We made our way up to my room where the interviews would be taking place. I sat cross-legged on the bed with Rose and Alice sitting guard beside me. A single wooden chair was placed directly in front of us, and the camera crew was setting up cameras from every angle to catch everyone's reaction.

Five minutes later after everything was settled, my manager gave me a silent nod. I had no idea who was coming in first because the producers were the ones who picked the line up. I hated being in the dark about that, this was something I felt that I needed to be prepared for. But as I heard the first knock on the door, I knew it was too late to be worried about it.

"Come in," I called, trying to sit up straight and make it look as if I was somewhat in control of myself.

_Of course_, I thought when the door opened and Edward's ex girlfriend came in. She sauntered over to the chair as if she was on a fashion runway, throwing a flirty smile toward the camera. Rose scowled next to me and Alice crossed her arms tightly obviously eager to spring the first question.

She sat down and crossed her long legs seductively, hiking up her skirt in the process.

Her callous display immediately put me on guard; was this the type of girl that Edward liked? If so, we probably wouldn't work out as well as I hoped we would. The thought made me sad.

She was staring at me with a friendly smile on her face, all traces of her previous rudeness gone.

I took a deep breath, and did my best to smile back at her.

"Hey," I said, "I'm Bella, thanks for coming and it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Tanya," she replied, looking directly into my eyes. "It's _wonderful_ to be here."

"Great…um," I stuttered. "So…how long were you dating Edward?"

She leaned back in her chair and pretended to contemplate.

"Oh, I'd say about a month or so, give or take a couple days."

"So short," piped in Rose. "You guys obviously weren't right for each other."

Tanya narrowed her eyes the tiniest bit, but otherwise kept her cool. She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

"Let me tell something about Eddie," she whispered viciously. "He is inattentive, insensitive, and inconsiderate. He is in no way shape or form a decent boyfriend, and he suffers from extreme commitment issues, that even his parents are aware of. You would do well not to choose him."

She slowly leaned back up, and plastered the fake smile back on her face. I felt awful after hearing her say all of those things about Edward. I mean, she wasn't the nicest girl in the world, that much was obvious, but if a pretty girl like her couldn't even get him to commit, what chance did I have? Is he even taking me seriously? Suddenly, all I wanted was her out of the room.

"Well thank you Tanya, you have definitely given me enough to think about, that will be all."

She got up to leave, and I was just about to whisper something to Rose when a piercing squeal echoed throughout the entire house.

**Edward's POV**

"God, he looks absolutely miserable," whispered Jacob as we walked into our room. I looked over to see Ron face down on his mattress, both hands gripping the hair on his head.

"You all right?" I asked, even though it was obvious that he wasn't. It was also obvious that he was completely in love with his ex girlfriend. I knew that, he knew that, all the other contestants knew that, and I really hoped that Bella knew it too. But she was a smart girl; anyone could have figured it out when they saw his reaction. She, along with the rest of our ex girlfriends, were all upstairs waiting to be interviewed.

Ron jumped at the sound of my voice and lifted his head off the pillow.

"No, I'm not all right," he said. "But I don't really want to talk about it mate."

"Fair enough," said Jacob, sighing as he flopped onto his bed.

I did the same and closed my eyes, my mind drifting to Bella as it had been constantly since I came here. My stomach lurched when I thought about her being alone with Tanya, discussing me and our relationship. Bella and Tanya were like hot and cold, and I didn't want to be judged by the way I had been when I was with her. I resisted the urge to groan out loud at the horror of this whole situation.

"Well, aren't you all just a bundle of joy this afternoon," said Zack smugly as he walked into our room. "Afraid of all the exes are we?"

"Get OUT," said Ron angrily. The tips of his ears had flushed red and he looked about ready to pounce.

"Ex girlfriends a touchy subject Red?" retorted Zack, jutting his lower lip out.

Ron flew off the bed, and I just caught his arm before it flew into Zack's face.

"Not worth it," I whispered, draping my arm around his torso to keep him back. Jacob had also gotten up and was towering over Zack, forcing him to back out of the room.

Zack laughed lightly. "Temper, temper," he scolded. "Maybe I need to warn Bella about you guys too." And with that, he walked off toward the bathroom at the end of the hall.

I released Ron and he ran his hands threw his hair angrily. "It's time," he finally said. "Give me two minutes."

**Bella's POV**

Completely disregarding the rest of the interviews, I flew down the stairs in the direction of the squeal. One of the girls must have been badly hurt. Rose, Alice, and the camera crew were all hammering down the hall after me.

I turned sharply into the boy's hallway and stopped at the sight of the guys leaning against the wall, doubled over in laughter.

"What's going on?" I demanded, "Who screamed?"

Before they could answer, another shrill scream pierced the air around us, causing me to jump back in surprise. "Who is that?" I whispered, terrified.

"It's...it's...ZACK!" laughed Tyler loudly, as he held onto Mike's shoulder for support.

I looked questionably at the locked door. "Why is he screaming?" I asked.

"He's having trouble in the bathroom," said Edward in the calmest voice he could manage. But his face was also bright red from laughing so hard.

"GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" Zack cried.

_Ew_. I scrunched up my face in disgust, and all the boys burst out into hysterics at my reaction. The only one who wasn't laughing as hard was Ron, but he looked utterly pleased with himself.

"HELP ME!" Zack screamed in a girl voice. "HOW DID IT GET IN HERE?!"

"I can't listen to this, this is repulsive," said Rose, glaring at the door.

I felt the same, but I went over and knocked quietly.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" I asked softly, but I doubted he heard me with all the laughing going on. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"BELLA! I CAN'T GET UP!" he screamed. "AND THERE'S A SNAKE IN THE TOILET!"

Edward and Jacob were beside themselves with mirth, and it looked as if they were going to pass out from lack of oxygen. I however, felt bad for him, but this was just gross. I mean a snake in the toilet? That was just vulgar.

"HELP ME BELLA!" he cried desperately, "PLEASE!"

"What could I do?!" I answered, getting a little worked up. How could he possible expect me to help him with something like this? It was ridiculous.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" he pleaded, repeating it over and over.

"Don't do it!" said Alice, looking terrified. "Don't go in there Bella!"

I didn't have to decide though, because Jacob slammed his foot into the door, knocking it off the hinges.

I gasped in surprise as the door fell, and my mouth dropped at what I saw before me.

Zack was sitting pants down on the toilet, crying like a little girl. His face was contorted with horror.

"BELLA!" he screamed when he saw me. "GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT!" He pointed into the toilet and looked at me anxiously.

"ZACK," I hissed, using his real name. "I can't help you with something like that! Do you want me to get you something to help your stomach?!" I realized I was being a bit hysterical, but I had definitely never dealt with anything like this before.

"THERE IS A REAL SNAKE IN THE TOILET BELLA!" he shouted at me. And sure enough, a snake face popped out from right in between his legs.

Rose, Alice, and I all screamed at the same time.

Tyler and Mike crashed into the sink guffawing loudly, knocking over the hand soap and toothbrushes.

I watched my friends high tail it out of the bathroom, but I was in such shock that I only backed up to the doorway.

"WELL GET THE HELL UP!" I shrieked at him. "GET UP!"

"I CAN'T!" he cried, tears running down his face. "I'M STUCK!!"

I watched as he gripped both sides of the toilet and desperately tried to lift up, but it was obvious that he couldn't move.

"Well you better get up before I pee on myself!!" said Tyler in between his gasps for air. I turned and glared at him, how could he think this was funny.

But as I watched Zack struggle and scream, surrounded by cameras that were capturing the entire thing, I couldn't help but admit that this was probably the most shocking thing that I had ever seen, and maybe it was…just a little bit funny.

I turned around and told one of the crew members to get the snake trainers. And five minutes later, the snake was out of the toilet, and Zack walked off bright red, fuming into his room and slamming the door loudly.

I turned back around to see that all of the other five guys were sprawled out on the floor, their chests heaving rapidly. Mike had his hand draped across his eyes, and his hand on his stomach.

"I'm going to have a heart attack," laughed Jacob, struggling to get up off the floor. "Oh god that might have just been the best moment of my life."

"How did you guys pull that one off?" I asked incredulously. All the boys started at the sound of my voice, and pulled themselves off the floor. Apparently thinking I was mad, they all turned and pointed fingers at Ron.

"Uh," he muttered instantly. He looked like a five year old trying to think of a good lie.

"The truth," I told him. "Don't worry you're not going to get in trouble. I enjoy a good laugh just like everyone else. Besides, I needed it after that interview I just had."

I couldn't help but meet eyes with Edward as I said it, and he looked down a bit shamefully.

"Well," Ron continued. "I guess the truth is… I just used a bit of my natural…uh…magic." He laughed and wrung his hands in front of him.

"Magic huh?" I laughed, "You are quite the charmer, I'll get it out of one of you later on. But I do have five more interviews to conduct, so you guys behave yourselves until dinner. Got it?"

They all nodded and gave me their best smiles. At that, I turned and headed back upstairs. One down, five to go.

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU GUYS! I hope all my fellow college students are having as good a break as I am! Thanks for reading, and what did ya think?!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This extra long chapter is my Christmas present to you! So I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! **

**Thanks you SO SO much for reading my story, and a few special mentions to some of my reviewers who always make me smile.**

**Jakelover18****- who leaves me the funniest reviews ever!**

**Sh.C**** – My fellow college friend, who completely made me cry this morning with her story! If you haven't read it, go do it now! She's an amazing author!**

**MyTwilightRomance ****–** **Who had a horrible day the other day so this chapter is dedicated to you!**

**Not done baking** – **Definitely my most trusted reader, who I always count on to give me the truth about my writing**

**Vjgm**** – My friend and one of my favorite authors on this site!**

**Okay, I'm done. Haha. On to the next chapter!**

**Bella's POV**

I settled back into my bed after returning from downstairs. _Poor Zack_. He wouldn't even attempt to go near those snakes during the challenge, so being stuck on the toilet with one was probably pretty awful. _But also pretty funny_, I thought, chuckling a little. The image of him pants down on that toilet seat with a snake popping up between his legs was something that I was certainly going to remember.

Rose and Alice walked in, laughing as they returned to their spots next to me.

"That was great," said Alice, picking up her clipboard from the floor. "Definitely what we needed after Tanya."

"Yeah," I nodded, my good humor souring a bit as I remembered her interview and what she said about Edward. I had a lot of thinking to do on that, but I knew now was not the time and there were other interviews that I needed to get through. I sighed, looking down at the golden comforter beneath me, hoping that the rest of them would fair better.

I waited another moment for the cameras to get back in place, and then gave the signal that we could begin. Another knock sounded at the door, and I called out for them to enter.

A beautiful Native American girl walked in and closed the door softly behind her. She had a wide smile, and unlike Tanya's, it was completely genuine. She didn't look at the cameras once as she took her seat in the wooden chair.

I could almost feel Rose and Alice relax their defensive positions beside me. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief too, this girl looked very sweet, and if that was any indication of how the rest of the interview would go, then it would be a welcome breath of fresh air.

"Hello," I said, smiling at her. "I'm Bella, thank you for coming and it's great to meet you."

"Likewise," she said in a joyful tone, "I'm Leah." She looked at all of us once and then crossed her legs, her face anticipating the first question.

"Great, so Leah," I began, taking a quick peek at Alice's clipboard. "How long were you and Jacob together?"

"A little over a year," she responded automatically. "It was a mutual decision to break it off."

"Oh?" I asked, "Why did you guys decide that?"

"Lots of reasons," she said in a bright tone. "You see, Jacob is a great guy, he really is. But we just weren't meant to be together, and we realized that we would be much better off as friends. But he was always so thoughtful and kind during the time we were in a relationship. He was a tremendous support system for me, a great listener, and just an all around good boyfriend. Really."

I couldn't help but drink up the sincerity in her voice. It was obvious she was telling the truth, and I really liked Jacob so this was like music to my ears.

"So Jacob would be a good choice, then?" I asked, anxious for her answer.

"Absolutely," she responded, nodding her head. "And he seems to be very taken with you Bella, I can already tell."

I beamed and watched as Alice scribbled away furiously on the paper in front of her.

"Thank you Leah, for sharing all that with us," I smiled. "You can tell the next girl to come in now."

"You're welcome," she said, getting up and heading toward the large white doors of my bedroom. "I'll see you at dinner." And with that, she disappeared out of my room.

"What a little sweet heart," said Alice. "I like her."

"Me too," said Rose, "But it's not her you need to like, it's Jacob."

I nodded, and called out for the next girl to come in when I heard the knock on the door.

A short girl with leg warmers and white keds bounced into my bedroom, flipping her hair as she made her way over to the wooden chair. This was quite obviously Zack's ex girlfriend, because they both seemed to be stuck inside some 80's time warp. Rose curled her lips as she appraised her outfit.

"Hey!" she squealed, before I even got the chance to talk. "I'm Kelly Kapowski, and I really just can't believe I'm here! When I got the call to come down, I was like, so excited! And then when I heard Zacky was here, I knew I had to come! My mom was like, so happy for me too! Oh can I say hi to her?" She turned toward the camera, smacked her gum, and flipped her brown hair over her shoulder. "Hi Mom!" she shouted at the camera, "Oh, wait! And I also have to say hi to Lisa, Jesse, Slater and Screech! HEY GUYS!" She waved her hand obnoxiously as if they could see her at exactly that moment.

"Um," I said a bit loudly, interrupting her ramblings. "Hey Kelly, I'm Bella, thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting me!" she said in such a happy tone; I almost thought she was faking it. But one look at her face, led me to believe that she was serious.

"So what can you tell me about Zack?" I asked, "How long were you together?"

"Oh, we were high school sweet hearts," she told me. "We were on and off for about three years, well, when I wasn't dating his best friend Slater that is. Anyways, Zacky is just so cute isn't he? He was always very sweet, but, actually…he did always seem to get me into a lot of trouble back then."

She narrowed her eyes, seeming to remember something unknown to me.

"So, in your opinion," I shuddered at the words, "Is Zack a good choice?"

"Sure!" she said, "He is a great guy, but oh my god there are so many guys here! How are you going to be able to pick just one! I bet I couldn't do it! It would SO hard –"

"Okay well thank you Kelly," said Rose. "We will keep everything you said in mind."

"Super!" she said, and with that she flounced out of the room, whipping her hair as she closed the door.

"Well obviously we can't take anything she told us seriously," said Alice, once the door was completely closed. "And was it just me, or did she admit to dating his best friend?"

"Yeah, she did," I laughed. "I must say between that, and the whole snake thing today, I feel a little bit bad for him."

Rose scoffed loudly in response. "I don't. He didn't even try today during the challenge, that wins negative points in my book."

I shrugged, calling for the next girl to come in.

A blond girl walked in and headed directly for the wooden chair. She was a pretty girl, but you could hardly tell because the scowl she wore on her face was so menacing that it distorted her features. I was so taken aback by her expression, that I unconsciously scooted further back onto the safety of my bed.

"Er, Hey," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm Bella…thanks for being here."

She grunted in reply.

I took another peek at Alice's clipboard; this was Lauren, Tyler's ex girlfriend. After she made no move to introduce herself, I took the initiative and decided to ask the first question.

"So you are Tyler's ex girlfriend?" I asked tentatively. "What can you tell me about him?"

I peered at her and could have a sworn that a growl came forth out of her chest. "What can I say about Tyler?" she shrieked sarcastically as she shook her head violently, apparently causing me to unconsciously grip Rosalie's arm in fright.

"Well, there is nothing really to say except that he is a disgusting pig headed asshole! He just thinks he is sooohoho hot, with his tight butt and large penis, but let me tell you something," she leaned down and waggled her finger in front of my face.

"He is only after one thing," she sneered in a serious tone. "And I don't have to say _SEX_ out loud to tell you guys that that's what it is!!"

She leaned back and crossed her arms, breathing heavily.

No one spoke for a moment, but as I opened my mouth to finally break the silence she cut me off.

"_SEX_!" she repeated, as if she was trying to drive the point into my brain.

I nodded quickly. "Okay um…I got it…uh one last thing then, how long were you guys together?"

"A little over three years," she responded mechanically.

"Right?" I said as I tried to hide my confusion. "Um, okay then. Thanks Lauren, that will be all."

She raised her sharp eyebrows at me and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"So she apparently hates him and says he's only after sex…but she was with him for three years?" said Alice, voicing my thoughts exactly. Obviously I couldn't take this girl seriously either because she had made absolutely no sense, not to mention that she was slightly manic.

"That's what I got out of it too," I answered.

"This just keeps getting better and better," whispered Rose, rubbing my arm in what seemed like sympathy. I rested my head on her shoulder, only two more to go, I told myself. I half heartedly called out for the next girl to come in when I heard the knock.

"Hello," she said once she closed the door behind her. "I'm Jessica, Mike's ex girlfriend."

"Hey Jessica, I'm Bella, thanks for coming." I watched as she went to sit down in the wooden chair. "So, what can you tell me about Mike?"

A big smile came over her face, and she looked down at her lap. "Well, Mike is really nice," she told me. "He is athletic, really gentle, and always went out of his way to make me happy."

Surprisingly, I felt myself brighten considerably at her words. Mike really had never been one of my favorites, but maybe I had been underestimating him this entire time.

"Really?" I said, "So how long were you guys together?"

At this she blushed, and returned her gaze down to her lap.

"Well, I've liked him for a while, but we were only together for about five months. Once he saw you, he kind of dropped me and did everything he could to make it onto your show. It seems he really likes you."

"Oh," I said, feeling a bit guilty and awkward after hearing her confession. I definitely didn't like to hear that I had broken up their relationship, especially after she admitted to how much she liked him. But I guess there was nothing I could really do it about now, besides give Mike a better look than I had been.

"Thank you Jessica, for your honesty," I said, trying to convey to her through my eyes that I really meant it. She nodded, gave a slight glance toward the cameras and left the room.

"I think Mike deserves a closer look," I said, telling my friends what I had been thinking.

"Maybe," said Alice, "But I don't know. He is sort of plain don't you think? And it always seems that no matter how hard he tries, he still never wins."

"True," said Rose, "And you're looking for the winner, not someone who just comes close."

I shrugged, knowing that I would think more on the subject later. But my heart raced as I remembered who would be coming through the door next. Ron's ex girlfriend, and even though the other interviews had been something to remember, I knew this one would be the one I wouldn't forget. As expected, a heard a timid knock, and a short, but very beautiful brunette came through the door.

My stomach dropped at her expression, and it made my heart clench to see how terribly sad she looked. But to my surprise, she managed to place a small smile on her face as she made her way over to the chair.

"Thank you very much for having me," she said politely. "I'm Hermione, Ronald's… ex girlfriend." The last word came out very softly.

"What a lovely name," said Alice.

"Thank you," she replied, and twisted her hands slowly in front of her. I could tell she was fighting back tears, and doing everything she could to keep the agonized expression off of her face.

"So, what is there to say about Ron?" I asked, almost anxious to hear what she would tell me.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was silent, and she seemed to be suffering from an internal struggle of sorts. But finally, she looked up and gazed at me and I was taken aback by the honesty I saw in her eyes.

"Ronald is…the most loyal boyfriend that a girl could ever have. He is caring, tender, loving, and completely attentive in every way you could think of. It's impossible not to feel safe with him, and when he looks at you, he makes you feel as if you are the only girl in his world. Although he is protective, and sometimes very jealous," at this thought, an angry expression came over her features, but a moment later she quickly composed herself, "He still is the most perfect companion a girl could ask for…Bella, you are…very lucky."

Before I had a chance to respond, she excused herself and flew out of the room.

"Wow," said Alice.

"Wow, indeed." I replied.

oOoOoOOoOooOoOOoOOoOoOOoOooOoOooOoOOoOoOooOoOO

**Bella's POV**

"Well that had to be the most awkward dinner ever," said Alice as I shut the door to my room. We had come up upstairs to discuss the elimination ceremony that would be taking place tonight, and I for one, couldn't have been happier. The dinner was an extremely awkward affair that was not fun for me, but made the producers happy because "_It made for great TV." _Thankfully,almost all of the girls had left directly after dinner was over.

"Let's get down to business," said Alice, flopping down onto my floor. I sat down next to her and put my head in her lap so she could stroke my hair.

"To be honest," I said, closing my eyes. "Most of the ex girlfriends gave me a bad impression."

"True," said Rose. "But how many of them could you actually believe? It all matters who you judge to be telling the truth, and who you trust."

"But I don't know _who_ to trust," I said with a frown. "Take Edward for instance, I would have never expected him to treat his girlfriend that way, that really surprised me."

"Don't tell me you're going to listen to that _skank_," said Rose. "She was out to make Edward look bad, you had to have seen that. Look how they treated each other at dinner; it was clear that they both hated each other."

I shrugged.

"I agree," said Alice. "Edward kept throwing nervous glances at you all throughout dinner, it seemed as if he was worried she would lie about him."

"Or tell the truth," I responded, my voice full of sorrow.

Alice bent down to kiss my head. "But Jacob's girlfriend was great right? She said nice things about him at least."

"True," I said. "I'm going to keep Jacob tonight. He really has impressed me in more than one way today. He stays."

Rose nodded, leaned over and marked something down on Alice's clipboard.

"Tyler's girlfriend was making me laugh," she giggled. "I thought at one point she was trying to stab him with her salad fork."

"She was!" I said, "The producers almost had to get involved before it got really bad!"

"Now she was crazy," said Alice. "But I don't know, I don't find Tyler being a pervert so hard to believe either."

"Me either," I said urgently. "That's why I don't know who to believe."

"So listen to _your_ heart Bella, these are their ex girlfriends, there is a reason why they broke up. Who do _you_ want to keep? Don't listen to what everyone else says."

I thought for a moment, but sat up and turned to them.

"I may not know which one is right for me just yet, but I do know who isn't."

I told them exactly who was going home tonight, and just like last week, they nodded in agreeance.

But just as I got up and was about to go to hair and makeup and get ready for the ceremony, there a knock at my door.

**Edward's POV**

_11:59_

If I thought that I had been nervous during the last elimination ceremony, it paled in comparison to the way I was feeling now. Standing at the bottom of the stairs in line with the other guys, I was finding it impossible to keep still. All I wanted to do was run up to Bella's room, grab her, and not let her go until I could explain away everything that Tanya must have told her. And I knew it had been bad because Bella hardly looked at me throughout the entire dinner. Usually we would catch each other's gazes and smile, a certain something passing through the air between us, and it had been noticeably absent tonight. There was nothing to reassure me that I was staying. Even the breakfast date we were supposed to have tomorrow was not collateral in my eyes.

Besides Jacob, who was standing next to me radiating confidence, it was obvious that everyone else was just as nervous as me. Tyler kept running his hands through his hair, cursing his ex girlfriend under his breath and Mike had his eyes closed, praying quietly to himself.

But the thing that surprised me the most, was Ron.

He was standing there, smiling widely, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. I had never seen him look that happy and I couldn't figure out his sudden mood change. He had been absolutely miserable all day, but then he shows up glowing at the elimination ceremony?

But I didn't have any more time to figure it out, because all at once, the cameras moved forward, the spotlight came on at the top of the stairs, and Bella's theme song came pounding out of the speakers.

As she appeared from around the corner, it took all my strength not to close my eyes against her beauty. She looked so lovely standing there, and as she carefully made her way down the stairs, and I prayed that she wouldn't be sending me home. She had to be feeling what I was feeling, because the things that were pulsing through me were too strong to be one sided.

But once again, she didn't look my way as she passed, she simply strode over to podium, and all I could do was watch helplessly as her friends sat down beside her.

The smaller of the two reached under her seat and pulled out the wooden box, but instead of opening it right away, she ran her fingers in smooth circles over the top.

"Welcome," she said softly, "To the second elimination ceremony."

I was acutely aware of the camera right beside me, and I desperately hoped they weren't focused on me because I was the one going home.

She opened the box, but I hardly noticed because I couldn't take my eyes off her face. I was trying to read each and every one of her expressions, but as always, they remained blank.

_God I wish I could read her mind!_

"We are going to do things a bit differently tonight," she said seriously, looking around at all of us. "Because there are only four chains in this box, and there are six of you standing before me."

My heart instantly plummeted into my stomach. If she was sending _two _people home, that automatically lowered my chances of staying here. I started breathing deeply, looking around at everyone. Even Jacob looked surprised and even a bit nervous.

"About an hour ago, one of you came to my room, and told me that they were eliminating themselves. I will let him explain to you, and America, his reason why." She stepped off the podium and motioned someone forward.

All our heads snapped up in shock to see Ron stepping out of his place in line and going up toward Bella. He pulled her into a big hug, whispered something to her, then took his place in front of us.

He cleared his throat loudly, and gazed at us with a serious expression.

"I have decided to eliminate myself mates, because in truth, I am in love with someone else. I gave my heart away a very long time ago, and there is no way I could ever live my life without her. I have apologized to Bella because I came on this show for the wrong reasons. There are some jealousy issues I need to work on, and I was using this show to spite Hermione, my girlfriend. I knew the whole time I was here that I didn't belong, and that I would be returning back to her, and for that, I am truly sorry."

He turned and gave Bella a look of pure anguish, and she shook her head to tell him that she understood. She walked over to him and gave him another hug and turned to us.

"So King is going home on his own accord, and I have to say that I am happy for him. The love between the two of them is plain for anyone to see, and I respect him for being honest with me."

He smiled at her, and went to stand back in line, forever chainless.

I frowned, despite my relief that I still had a chance. Ron was my favorite out of the all of guys, and one of the only people that I found I could relate to. I would miss him when he was gone, but I couldn't concentrate on that right now, especially when I could still be the other one going home.

I watched as Bella pulled her first chain out of the box.

"This first chain is for a man who truly impressed me today. You gave your best during the challenge, and all I heard from your ex girlfriend was flattering things about you. I still…like you, and still am eager to learn more …Wolf, this chain is for you."

I felt my throat clench up in fear.

I watched as Jacob hopped out of line and strode over to get his chain. He swept her up, as he always did, into a big hug. His face was gleaming with happiness, but as he turned back toward me, his eyes caught mine. He winked smugly at me, but I looked past him, hoping beyond hope that she didn't like him more than me.

She pulled her next chain out of the box.

"This next chain is for someone that I have decided to give all of my trust to. After hearing some of the things your ex said about you, I'll be honest, it unnerved me. But I decided that _I_ liked you. And that _I_ still really want to get to know you, because there is something there…I can feel it. So Handsome…this chain is for you."

I felt my face explode with joy and relief. She giggled at my reaction, and motioned me over with her finger. I walked over, eager to feel the metal around my neck, knowing that I was staying another day.

"Still up for our breakfast date tomorrow?" she whispered softly into my ear, as she placed the chain around my neck.

"I'd never miss it," I whispered back honestly. She smiled and leaned up, and I turned around to take my place back in line. I caught Jacob's eye and winked, just as he did to me. He scowled angrily and I laughed.

"This third chain, is for someone that I have heard nothing but good things about today. And I realized that in my mind, I wasn't giving you the chance that you deserved. I want to spend some alone time with you, to see if there really is a connection between us…Home Boy…this third chain is for you."

Just like last time, Mike pumped a fist in the air and jogged down to Bella to get his chain. He looked really excited, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit happy for him. He really wasn't a bad guy, but in my heart, I knew he wasn't right for my Bella.

That left Zack and Tyler.

In my opinion, any one of them could go home and it would be no skin off of my back. I wasn't crazy about either of them.

"I have one chain left," said Bella calmly, "Would my two remaining contestants please step forward."

I watched as the two of them grudgingly moved to stand in front of her. Tyler looked very upset to be in the bottom two once again, and Zack was shifting around looking slightly panicked. He must have been really nervous, because I didn't hear a wise crack from him all night."

"Just like last week, this decision came very easy to me," she explained, I could see the tension build up in her eyes. "I will reiterate what I told you from the beginning. These choices are mine and mine alone. I will be the one deciding who stays and who goes. I don't need someone coming up to my room, tattling on the other contestants to make themselves look good. I am a big girl…so Preppy, I'm sorry, but I am not falling for you."

Zack dropped his head sadly and nodded.

She placed the remaining chain around Tyler's neck and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh and turn red.

We all watched as Zack made his way upstairs to pack with a camera following close behind. As he turned the corner, I heard him start talking animatedly about how unfair the decision was, and how he was only looking out for Bella's wellbeing. I rolled my eyes, as did Bella.

Once Zack was out of sight, I saw another figure appear at the top of the stairs and start to make her way down. It was Ron's ex girlfriend, and she was dragging his suitcase behind her. Ron caught sight and he ran over to help. But instead of grabbing the suitcase, he bounded up the stairs and pulled her close into a passionate embrace. I saw her resting her head on his shoulder as tears were streaming down her face. He rubbed her back in a soothing motion, repeating how sorry he was, and how much he loved her.

I felt bad watching them, intruding on their private moment. But I couldn't help but feel jealous. I wanted that with Bella so bad. Without fail, she had impressed me once again tonight, in more ways than one. For accepting Ron and what he did, for the reason that she sent home Zack…she just was continuing to surprise me, and it was hard not to want this more and more every day.

Well watched silently as Ron and his girlfriend walked over and gave Bella a hug, talking quietly and exchanging goodbyes. After that, they made their way to the front door, but before Ron left, he turned back to Bella.

"Oh and Bella," he said. "Edward's a real decent bloke in my opinion."

He shot me a wink as he closed the door behind him.

**My next chapter, Edward and Bella's date, is going to be dedicated to ****Tara's Folly****, another amazing author and friend, who totally gets my Saved By the Bell references, my love for Kelly, and why I named Zack Preppy! For the people who didn't know, that was his nickname on the show!**

**Next chapter: Their date, and the return of ****Jasper and Emmet****t!**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

**ronOReds**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Eek! Sorry for the long wait! I've been so busy, I'm going to study abroad in London next semester, so I've been getting everything together! But don't worry, I would never abandon you guys! **

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine.

**Edward's POV**

"Everybody wake the hell up!"

My eyes shot open at the sound of the loud voice, and before I could even begin to figure out what was happening, my bedroom light came on and two large figures stormed in.

My hand flew to my face at the sudden brightness as I instinctively sprang into a sitting position at the top of my bed. When I adjusted to the light, I was able to make out a large burly man with curly dark hair, and a really tall blond man headed right for me.

"What's going on?" I demanded, feeling adrenaline defensively race through my body. They didn't answer, but instead yanked the covers off my bed and immediately did the same to Jacob, who was looking just as confused as me. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and inwardly cringed when I saw that it was 3 a.m.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Jacob groggily as he pulled himself out of bed.

"You don't get to ask questions," hissed the bigger one. "You've got 30 seconds to change and be downstairs, and when I say 30 seconds, I mean it, now _GO_!"

"You too," sneered the blond one at me, as they both raced out of the room. I distantly heard them rousing Tyler and Mike from down the hall.

I took a few moments to gather my thoughts together. Cameras were flanked around me so it didn't take me long to figure out that this was part of the show. At the thought of this being some surprise challenge; I scrambled out of bed, grabbed my nearest sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers, and headed downstairs as fast as possible. There was no way I wanted to cross the two of them, especially if this was something that could allow me to get closer to Bella.

Even though it was early, and elimination had just ended about 2 hours ago, I was utterly awake. Completely confused, a tad bit nervous, but very awake. I arrived downstairs first, taking note of how dark it was outside. A moment later, I heard Jacob come pounding down the stairs, a dark scowl on his face. Following him was an extremely angry Tyler, and a disheveled Mike, who looked like he hadn't even fully woken up yet.

They all gathered around where I was standing, and we turned toward the stairs in anticipation. Tyler was muttering to himself angrily. "It's 3:00 in the fucking morning," he whispered to no one in particular. I ignored him, trying to keep myself positive and ready for whatever was coming next.

"Line up!" said a booming voice, just as the two men who had ransacked our rooms appeared at the top of the stairs. At the sight of them, everyone listened and quickly took their spots in a makeshift lineup. Even I had to admit, they were very intimidating, standing there with their arms crossed tightly against their chests. They both were wearing black sunglasses and black fitted shirts with the words '_Team Bella'_ splayed across the front in white letters. Both were wearing matching black belts and jeans, complete with black boots that looked as if they could crush each of our heads in. Their faces looked as if they were contemplating those exact thoughts. I heard Mike gulp loudly beside me as they began to descend the stairs.

"Good morning ladies," said the big one as he reached the bottom. He began to pace slowly in front of us, while the taller one stood their smirking, his hands clasped behind his back.

My eyes were drawn back to their shirts, _Team Bella._ Did Bella know these men? I suddenly remembered our breakfast date that was scheduled for a few fours from now, and hoped that whatever I was doing here, wouldn't interfere with our plans. I had been waiting a very long time to be alone with Bella, and I didn't want to miss it.

"You're probably wondering who we are," he said as he raised his eyebrows at us, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Actually," snapped Tyler. "Not only am I wondering who you, but I am wondering why you woke me up, and why you're wearing sunglasses at 3:00 in the morning."

Silence filled the room as his words sunk in. _What was he thinking?_ I thought to myself, why would he ever say that? I found myself not caring though, it would be great if he got slapped around a bit by these two, he definitely needed it.

The big burly man slowly walked over to Tyler until he was inches from his face. Tyler's nostrils flared as he looked up at him, and I could tell he was trying to keep cool under his blazing stare.

"Because the sun never sets on a bad ass," he hissed at Tyler, looking him up and down, before he resumed his pacing.

"I'm Emmett," he said, finally introducing himself. "And this is Jasper. As you can see from our shirts, we're here for Bella, and only for Bella. She is one of the most important people in our lives, and we're here to determine which of you is good enough for her."

He gave that whole speech as if he thought none of us really were right for Bella, and Jasper was staring at us smugly and kept glancing toward the door.

"You guys up for a little morning run?" he said, coming up to stand beside Emmett.

An hour later, we were still running, and my lungs felt as if they were going to collapse. My mouth was so dry, that each hurried breath I took felt as if I was swallowing a handful of sand. It had initially been cold out, when we first started our run, but now the heat that was radiating off my body was all I felt, and it was stifling.

Jacob and I were the only ones that were still running. Mike was dragging along at his own pace about half a mile behind us, and Tyler had given up over an hour ago, and was alternating between walking and jogging his way.

Emmett and Jasper were driving alongside us the whole time in a big red jeep, taunting us with water and yelling emasculating things ever five minutes out the window. But I wasn't giving up, if these two were important to Bella, then they were important to me. Apparently Jacob had the same idea because he hadn't slowed once and kept pace right next to me the whole time.

After another fifteen minutes, the jeep sped up and drove directly into our path, signaling that we could stop running. Once I stopped, I felt my leg muscles cramp up immediately. I put both hands on top of my head in order to open up my lungs more, as I tried to control the heaving pants that were coming out of my mouth. Jacob wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sweatshirt, which was already completely drenched.

The first light was just beginning to show, and we were allowed a minute to cool off as we waited for Tyler and Mike to finally catch up. I took in my surroundings and saw the Love House off in the distance. Bella was asleep somewhere in there right now. That thought gave me the extra boost of energy I needed, and I took a big breath and stretched my arms up over my head.

"Look who finally showed up," said Emmett in a snide voice, as a stumbling Mike came into view. He looked pretty athletic, but due to his tired appearance, he was more talk than anything. I laughed to myself thinking about how he had shown Bella all his sports trophies and spoke his big game about how important he was.

Tyler suddenly appeared, his arms flailing helplessly at his sides right before he collapsed on the ground in front of me.

"Pathetic," said Jasper. "Get up, we're not finished."

Mike groaned loudly as we followed Emmett and Jasper around to the side of their jeep.

"Pick a nice comfortable spot," said Emmett, motioning for us to come forward.

Not sure what we were doing, I stood next to Tyler, right near the front end.

"Put your back flat up against the jeep," he told us. "And stand like this."

We watched as he put his back up against his car, and bent his knees. _Oh God_. I knew this exercise, and it was torture for anyone, let alone someone that just ran about 5 miles. But I sucked it up, and was the first one to get into position. The other three took my lead, and before long, we were all crouched on the side of the jeep, our legs straining to hold us up.

After ten minutes of this, my entire body was shaking violently. But I kept my eyes closed, and reassured myself that I was going to do this, I would not drop first.

"Let's get down to business," said Jasper suddenly. "Starting with you."

I opened my eyes for the first time and saw that they both were standing right in front of me with menacing glares. A trail of sweat fell into my eyes, but I didn't break eye contact, this was too important of a moment.

They both appraised me for a second, and then broke the silence.

"So…Handsome is it?" they asked, laughing to themselves.

I nodded curtly, still looking right at them.

"Well… we are certainly not calling you that, now what's your name?"

"Edward."

"Edward," they mused, moving in a little bit closer to me. "Bella tells us that you didn't even want to come here, says your friends forced you to make a video."

"That's true," I said, deciding to be honest.

"Then why do you think you deserve to be here now?" Emmett whispered in my ear.

I sucked in a deep breath, willing my legs to just hold on for a little bit longer, and willing my mind to put the truth into the right words.

"Because," I said breathlessly. "I didn't think I could find love on a TV show. Usually the people who do this stuff are in it for the fame and publicity, so I figured Bella would be no different." I sucked in a breath and clenched my muscles tight. "But she's proved me wrong, and I have found myself helplessly attracted to her, her morals, her attitude, her beauty…just her."

I had more to say, but my I felt myself slipping, and talking would take too much energy.

"Hm," said Emmett shortly, staring down at me for one more minute before moving on to Tyler.

"Drop," Jasper whispered in my ear before he followed after Emmett.

Right as the words left his mouth, I collapsed onto the grass and rested my head against the tire. As I caught my breath, I heard them laying it to Tyler bad.

"You've got a lot to prove," hissed Emmett viciously. "You think I didn't notice those looks you were giving my girlfriend in front of Bella?" Emmett's eyes were smoldering into Tyler's. I felt as if I could actually feel how mad he was. "You stay away from Bella, Alice, and Rosalie," he sneered, clenching his fists. "And you be sure that I'm going to do everything in my power to get you off the show."

He gave Tyler one more threatening glare before they moved on to Jacob.

"Stay," whispered Jasper, and Tyler closed his eyes and held his position. His girlfriend? I thought. Suddenly many things began to click into place. These must be Bella's friends Rosalie and Alice's boyfriends. No wonder they are close to Bella.

While Emmett and Jasper were interrogating Jacob, I saw Tyler drop beside me, without permission. Emmett and Jasper looked over and gazed at him as if he were the absolute scum of the earth, but they said nothing, and I watched as Jasper gave Jacob permission to drop.

All I could think about was the pain in my legs, and I watched as Mike could barely get a breath out and answer their questions. They however, found the whole thing quite amusing, and made him stay up longer than anyone else.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike dropped and gasped for air as he unconsciously rested his head on Jacob's shoulder. Jacob shrugged him off with a scowl and got to his feet. I watched the sun rise from behind the love house, and let my mind wander to Bella. She was worth all this, and in three hours, I was going to be with her, alone…finally.

"This decision may be Bella's," said Jasper, as he stood before us. "But we're giving her our opinion this time around. We've been watching you guys. We've seen what happens when the cameras are off, and we would never let anything happen to Bella…ever."

Even with the tough exterior, I could tell how much they really meant it.

"Exactly," said Emmett. "Bella, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and myself are like a family. And if you want to be with Bella, and be apart of this family….do everything you can to prove it."

After that, they headed into the jeep and sped out of sight in the direction of the house. We all slowly stood up, and followed.

We returned to the house about 10 minutes later, all in desperate need of a shower. I had a date with Bella in about 2 and half hours, so I was hoping that I could take one first and just relax until it was time. But as I arrived in our room, I saw Jacob already in his towel, slamming the door to the bathroom. _Jerk_.

When I heard the door open an hour later, and watched Jacob stroll out smirking at me, it was all I could not to slam my fist into his face. He had taken an extra long shower on purpose, knowing full and well I was waiting. Whatever, I was the one who had a date with Bella.

He threw on his pajamas, without even drying off and climbed back into bed.

"Goodnight, Handsome," he cried in a high voice. I loudly slammed the door to the bathroom in retaliation. The entire room was filled with steam, and I couldn't see anything that was in front of me. I quickly undressed, throwing my clothes in a pile next to the shower.

I turned on the water, obviously it was already warmed up, and went in, allowing the heat to wash over me and soothe my aching muscles. I sighed, and bent my head under the stream, bracing myself with both hands on the tiles in front of me.

_Click_.

My head shot up as I heard the bathroom door open and close.

"Who's there?" I asked, trying to block out the sound of the cascading water. "Hello?" I said again.

"It's me," a sweet voice said.

"Bella?!" I cried, jerking up so quickly that I almost slipped and fell flat on my face. "What are you doing in here?!" I said a bit hysterically. I was in such shock, that my mind was actually slowing down as I took in what was actually happening. But my body however, did not miss the fact that me and Bella were in a bathroom together…alone, while I was naked.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," she said, sounding panicky. "I er, brought you a bathrobe! I wanted to spend time with you alone…you know…just you and me…like I promised. Without all the cameras around. They don't follow me between 3 am and 7 am, so this was the only time I would be able to see you alone."

I could hear the embarrassment in her voice as she rambled, and willed my body to relax so I could step out of the shower and be presentable at the same time. I turned off the water, in too much surprise to speak. Upon not hearing an answer, she must have lost her nerve.

"I'll just leave," she said quietly. "We can do this later like we were supposed to."

"No! uh..no no, it's fine. Don't leave. Um, could you hand me that bathrobe?" I said, reaching my hand around to the curtain. She handed me the bathrobe and I pulled it on, waiting a moment before I stepped out. I silently took a breath, and then pulled it across.

I let out that breath as I took her in. Her long hair was piled messily on her head and she was still in her pink pajamas looking unbelievable adorable. I felt a grin on my face as I finally looked up to meet her big brown eyes. But she wasn't looking at me, she was staring down at my body, not blinking…I hope that was a good thing.

"Good morning," I said, pulling her into a hug that she returned immediately.

"Good morning…I actually brought us breakfast," she told me as she pulled away. She motioned down to the floor below her, and to my surprise, there was a pizza box right by her feet.

I chuckled. "Pizza?"

Her face flushed red and she went to sit down. "I like pizza in the morning. Come sit."

I smiled and joined her on the floor. She opened the pizza box and handed me the biggest slice. She took out one for herself, and we simultaneously took a bite.

"Pizza is delicious in the morning," I said with a laugh when I swallowed.

"Told you so," she said happily, crossing her legs out in front of her. I noticed that she was wearing patterned socks on her tiny feet. I curiously placed my pizza down, and took her foot in my hand to study it closer. I guess she was ticklish, because she erupted into giggles and jerked her foot away.

"Edward, you can't touch my feet! Promise you won't!"

I saw her eyes pleading with me, but I knew a good opportunity when I saw one. I gave her a mischievous smile, and before she could back away I grabbed her foot in my hand and ran my fingers quickly over her entire foot.

She squealed in delight, and tried to pry my hands off her. After we both stopped laughing, I softly held onto her ankle, looking at her foot.

"You have cute feet," I told her. "What are those on your socks? Shooting stars?"

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I don't think I own one pair of plain socks," she laughed.

"I like that," I responded with a grin, still looking at her feet.

"Let me see yours," she said, finally freeing her foot and moving towards me. I unbent my leg, and held my foot out in front of her. She moved back and pushed her foot out until it was touching my own. Her foot was a little over half of mine.

We both laughed and moved until we were facing each other. We held out our hands, to measure in the same way that we had done with our feet. As our hands touched, I looked right into her eyes, and we both moved to intertwine our fingers at the same time.

As I felt her hand in mine, I instinctively squeezed it tight, wanting to capture this moment, and hold on to it. I had never been this close to her before, and now that I was here, I wanted to keep it safe and to myself.

"So you didn't mind those snakes huh?" she laughed, giving my hand a squeeze back.

"I did," I said honestly with a chuckle. "But when I was little…"

At that, I launched into a story about how I encountered a snake when I was younger, and she told me about the run-ins that she had growing up near the forset.

And we stayed that way, facing each other, hands clasped together, talking for hours on the floor of my bathroom. We didn't talk about the show hardly at all, and I found myself getting to know her better than I ever thought possible. I had never talked to someone like this before, where you're so excited to tell them things about yourself, and when they tell you things in return, it's as if getting a present, because you start to like them more and more with every word that comes out of their mouth. It was heaven…and she was more beautiful than any angel I had ever seen.

A loud knock on the door interrupted us, and we both jumped guiltily.

"Edward!" said Jacob with a laugh. "What did you do fall asleep in there? You missed your date!"

I could hear how happy he was about that, and I guess Bella did too, because she leaned over and whispered something in my ear. I laughed and stood up, still holding tight to both of her hands.

Bella untied the knot of my robe, so it hung a little more loosely exposing my chest. I walked over to the door, her hidden behind me and opened it. I found myself face to face with a grinning Jacob.

"I was going to see if you were okay earlier," he lied, still smiling. "But I was just too tired to get up to walk over here."

"Excuse me Wolf," said Bella, appearing from behind me and ducking under my arm. "And bye Edward…thanks for…_breakfast_." She gave me the sexiest smile I've ever seen and ran past Jacob and the cameras.


	10. Chapter 10

**Eek!! I come to you with my tail between my legs. I apologize incredibly for the wait, but I really have been so busy preparing to go to London. There is so much to do, and I've spent a lot of time with my boyfriend since I won't be seeing him for so long…Anyways, I'm sorry again!! And here is an extra long chapter for you!**

**Disclaimer**** – Not Mine. **

**Edward's POV**

"What the hell was that?" Jacob cried, following me over to my bed. I turned around with my back toward him, trying to hide the smug grin on my face.

"What was what?" I asked innocently, grabbing my clothes from the edge of my bed. I pulled a gray shirt over my head and turned around to meet his anxious gaze. His hands were on his hips and he was glaring angrily at me.

"You know damn well what," he sneered, motioning toward the bathroom. "What were you two doing in there?"

"We were having our breakfast date," I answered, pulling on a pair of shorts. "You didn't really think I would fall asleep and miss that did you?" I chuckled.

He growled and stomped over to his bed.

"I was hoping," he replied, flopping himself down. He propped himself up on his elbow and picked at a loose thread on the mattress. "So…how did it go?" He looked up directly into my eyes, as if he was trying to pull the details out of my mind.

_How did it go? _I mused to myself.

I thought of the feeling of her hands locked with mine, her deep eyes staring directly at me as both of our laughter filled the room. The way I could talk to her for hours, about frivolous things, while we both enjoyed each other's company. The way that my heart was still getting over the fact that I might have found someone that was actually meant for me, on a TV show no less.

"It was perfect," I finally answered, sitting on my bed and locking eyes with my opponent.

**Bella's POV**

I was practically floating by the time I made it back to my bedroom. I slowly opened the door and tiptoed to my bed, spinning in a small circle before falling back and gazing at the ceiling. Letting out a deep breath, I let my thoughts wander to the breakfast date that I just had with Edward.

I hadn't expected him to be so silly. Although he had always been nothing but sweet, he was usually more reserved and polite. But today, he trusted me enough to show me a different side of him, and I couldn't help but begin to like him even more. He was slowly pulling ahead of the other guys, but something deep in my mind told me that he was always my favorite from the beginning.

I thought back on the look on Jacob's face when I had emerged from the bathroom.

It was funny of course, but I couldn't fight down the small twinge of guilt I felt. I did like Jacob too…he was nice. I guess I would have to find some way to make it up to him.

"Bella!" sang Alice, from outside my door. She waltzed in and perched herself right next to me. I watched as Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper all followed suit until we were all congregated on my bed.

"What a great workout this morning," smiled Emmett, rubbing a strand of Rosalie's hair between his fingers. "I haven't felt this good in ages."

"Oh please," snapped Rosalie, as she moved to sit on his lap. "Don't think we didn't see you and Jasper racing around in that jeep making fun of the boys as they ran. You're not fooling anyone."

"You weren't supposed to make fun of them!" I shouted, shooting them both incredulous looks. "You were just supposed to talk to them and find out more about their intentions, not hammer them into the ground with calisthenics!"

"Relax Bella," said Jasper. "We did our job; we just made it more…fun." He smirked and placed a sloppy kiss on Alice's lips.

"Well did you learn anything useful," she responded, rubbing the back of her hand over her mouth childishly.

"Yes," they both said at the same time.

I stared at them silently, waiting for them to continue.

"There a bunch of pansies," said Emmett. Jasper nodded in agreeance.

I rolled my eyes and flipped onto my stomach.

"Can we be serious here?" I said, getting annoyed at their foolishness, especially when it had to do with my love life.

"Fine, fine," Jasper said. "Where do you want us to start? With the boy who had the lungs of a 79 year old woman? Or the boy who calls flopping around like a dead fish running?"

I watched as Alice smacked him upside the back of his head.

"This is pointless," I huffed.

"No really," said Emmett, stepping in on the defense. "He's telling the truth. The whole time, Tyler was just flailing his arms all around him like this!" We all watched as he madly convulsed in his attempt to imitate Tyler, causing Jasper to erupt into hysterics.

"AHAA!! That is exactly what he looked like!!" cried Jasper, holding his stomach as he laughed so hard it was almost breathless. "And then!" he stopped, trying to regain his voice. "And then… Emmett and I kept whizzing by him in the jeep, revving the engine really loud, and then speeding away. He totally thought we were gonna run him over man," he chuckled, looking at Emmett.

Emmett nodded his head, immersed in uncontrollable laughter, lifting his hand up for a high five, that Rosalie ended up smacking away.

"You're both idiots," she sneered. "You couldn't do this one thing for Bella without drowning in your immaturity could you?"

I put my hands over my eyes in frustration, trying to block them out.

"Okayyyy," said Jasper, finally ceasing his laughter and leaning back on the headboard. "We're sorry, and don't worry Bella, we did do our job."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, trying my best to fight the smile that was betraying my lips.

Emmett smirked and leaned back on the headboard right next to Jasper.

"Alice…get the pen," said Jasper seriously, and she immediately got up to retrieve her pen and pad that she had been taking notes in throughout the entire show. She settled down beside me and rested the tip to the paper, poised and ready to go.

"We're starting with Tyler, since we've already talked about him," said Emmett, resting his hands behind his head. I watched his whole face darken and immediately went on alert. This wouldn't be the first time I would hear something bad about Tyler, that was for sure.

"I don't like him," he said in a light voice. "He is pathetic, not near man enough for you, and a pervert, all rolled up in one sad little body."

Jasper nodded. "Seriously Bella, I get a real bad vibe from him. He is just radiating nastiness."

"That's a little harsh," placated Alice in a soft tone. "I think it's obvious he likes Bella, and that's what is most important."

"For the wrong reasons," Emmett interrupted quickly, throwing me a meaningful look. "If you ask me Isabella, take him out next."

I gave them a curt nod. "Mike?"

And just when they looked as if they were about to bust into laughter again, I held up my hand and gave them a 'don't you dare" look.

Emmett put his tongue in his cheek and smiled at me.

"Mike isn't what you're looking for either," he said. "He talks a big game, but he hasn't got much to back it up. To be honest I was expecting a lot out of him this morning, being a big athlete and all, and he just turned out to be disappointing. Who knows what other aspects of his life that applies to as well?"

I let all the information sink in, refusing to comment until I heard everything they had to say. Before I could motion for them to continue, they both spoke up.

"And here is where we differ slightly," said Emmett, shooting a quick look in Jasper's direction. "Jazz here likes Jacob, but honestly, I like Edward, he seems like a real decent guy in my opinion, weirdly perfect for you in a way."

"I didn't say I didn't like Edward," cut in Jasper, defending himself. "I just think Jacob is a more reliable choice. See Bella, the two of them held their own out there today, and we like them both. I just think you'd be better off with Jacob, he's wanted to be here from the beginning."

"So what?" cried Emmett, sitting up straighter. "You can't tell me that it isn't obvious Edward wants to be here?"

Jasper shrugged and held his hands up, admitting defeat, but still holding his position.

"All right, all right," said Rosalie, putting a soft hand on Emmett's chest. He sat back and let out a deep breath before giving Jasper a quick smile.

"We agree to disagree on this one," said Jasper, putting out his hand for Emmett to take it. They both grabbed each others hand and gave it a hard shake, but Emmett, being the clown that he is, jerked Jasper roughly off the bed. Emmett threw his head back and laughed mercilessly.

I sighed and laughed quietly to myself. You couldn't help but love the two of them. Although they had given me their honest opinions, I still felt confused. I was hoping that one of them would just point out the answer, and just tell me who I was supposed to pick. But I realized that I should listen to myself, and what I had been saying all along. No one was going to make that decision for me, because I was the one who had to do it. I had to pick, and of course the people I loved and trusted could help me, but in the end, it was up to me.

"What did I get myself into," I sighed, laying my head on Alice's lap.

**Edward's POV**

"I can't move," Tyler whimpered in a high voice.

I looked over and saw him lounging on one of the poolside chairs, rubbing his thighs with an agonized expression.

"Stop being such a pussy," Jacob snapped, obviously still in a sour mood from discovering me and Bella in the bathroom this morning. We were all gathered around the pool, trying to relax our muscles and get a moment to ourselves before the next challenge.

The sun was shining brightly down on us, reflecting off the surface off the water, giving the whole thing a magnificent silver shine. I rested my head on the towel I had bunched up, and let the dry warmth fully engulf me.

I only opened my eyes when I heard the patio door slide open, hoping that it would be Bella, and boy was I right. She stepped out slowly, only wearing a sexy green bikini, and my breath caught in my throat. I sat up quickly, my eyes not able to leave her form as she made her way to us around the edge of the pool.

"Damn, it must be Christmas time," muttered Tyler. That was when I finally noticed that Bella's friend Rosalie was right behind her, wearing a red bikini. They both had towels draped over their arm and were heading right for us.

Jacob let out a low whistle, and as soon as Bella was close enough, he ran over and scooped her up, causing her to giggle madly and wrap her arms around his neck. I felt the familiar pangs of jealously surge through my system as they both accidentally toppled into the water. I scowled, resisting the urge to pout like a little boy.

_Two can play that game,_ I told myself, and I got up, ready to jump into the pool and reclaim some of Bella's attention. But as I swung my legs over the edge of the chair, Rosalie sat herself down right next to me and gave me a wide smile.

"Let me guess," she said softly, "You're _Handsome_." I watched as her eyes not so discreetly traveled the length of my body. I felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze so I tried to stand up, but she grabbed my wrist and yanked me back onto the chair.

I gave her a confused expression, and pulled my wrist out of her grip.

"Yeah, that's me," I finally responded, hoping that she would accept that as an answer and let me leave.

"What's your _real_ name," she asked, scooting in closer to me, and running a light finger up my arm.

_What was she doing? Is she trying to seduce me in broad daylight, ten feet away from Bella?_

"Edward," I said, in a not so polite voice, and automatically brushed her off to stand up again.

"Wait," she called, trying to bring me back down again. "Can you put some sun tan lotion on my back; you know I can never reach those hard to see places." Her face fell into a sultry smirk, and I frowned in response.

"No thanks Rosalie." I shook my head. "I'm going to find Bella."

And with that, I turned on my heel trying to get as far away from her as possible. That was so strange? But all thoughts of what just happened quickly left my mind when I saw Jacob and Bella whispering to each other in the pool.

I balled my fists and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, and trying to tell myself that this was a competition, and I hadn't won yet. And since I hadn't won yet, I couldn't jump in there, knock his lights out, and carry Bella away so I could have her to myself.

But I could try.

I dove gracefully into the pool, and resurfaced very close to where they were standing. Bella saw me over Jacob's back and smiled, a brilliant smile that was brighter than the sun beating down on us. Jacob was still blissfully unaware that I was standing there. Bella suddenly whipped her eyes back to him and said something in his ear, but before she pulled away, she secretly turned to me and stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, making the silliest face I had ever seen.

I threw my head back and laughed loudly, finally alerting Jacob to my presence. He spun around and glared blackly at me.

"What's so funny?" he asked, and I saw him snake his hand around Bella's waist possessively under the water. I frowned and met his eyes.

"Well nothing's funny anymore," I answered, my gaze glancing quickly at his arm. But I know he saw it because his face turned smug and he made no move to let go. Luckily, Bella decided that she had enough of our childish jealously, and pulled away herself.

"You two need to lighten up," she scolded playfully, as she splashed two medium size waves of water in our direction. She giggled loudly and tried to escape to the other side of the pool. We both sprang up, reaching her within seconds, laughing loudly ourselves. Jacob grabbed her ankles, while I grabbed her upper arms to lift her above water and swing her.

"You know Jacob," I said pleasantly. "I found something out this morning.'

"Oh yeah?" he said, matching my tone. "What's that?"

I watched as Bella screamed for us to put her down, but it was obvious she was completely enjoying herself. Jacob and I were swinging her almost around in a complete circle.

"Bella here, well she's very ticklish," I nodded, slowing down the swinging on purpose and throwing Jacob a small wink. He caught my meaning immediately and began to slow down as well.

"You don't say?"

"Yup."

"Don't you dare," was Bella's response, but before she could try to escape again, Jacob and I flew at her, tickling her without mercy. Her playful cries rang out around the pool, and she writhed in the water, sending small splashes out on every side.

"Hey!" said a voice from right behind me. "She obviously doesn't want to be tickled, why don't you two stop?"

Jacob and I whipped our heads around and came face to face with Mike who looked unnecessarily angry.

"Hey Mike," said Bella. "Thanks for saving me!"

His face softened right away, and he smiled happily at all three of us.

"Can I talk to you for a little? I promise _I_ won't tickle you," he told her, holding out his hand. Bella glanced at both of us once, but to my frustration, waded over and grabbed his hand.

"Sure," she said, and Jacob and I watched as they headed to the other side of the pool, talking quietly.

"Bella definitely doesn't want him," said Jacob, standing right beside me. "So don't stress that." He motioned to the two of them.

"I'm not stressing," I laughed. "You're the one who's been stressing all day." I began to circle him in a threatening way. Jacob's and my friendship was extremely weird and complicated. If we met somewhere else, not this show, I was pretty sure that we would have gotten along real well. But due to the fact that we were both very passionate and very jealous, it was kind of hard to be best pals when we were fighting for the same girl.

Before I could open my mouth again, Jacob sent a tidal wave of water in my direction, which I immediately retaliated and we ended up getting into a full out water wrestling match.

"I'm winning this competition," he said breathlessly in my ear, his arm was draped across my throat in a headlock.

"In your dreams," I muttered, twisting away from his strong grip and bringing his arm swiftly up behind his own back. He scrambled to get away and I held tight, but after a couple seconds, he unleashed his arm and tried to turn and dive for me.

A few moments, Jacob was thirsty, and we both were tired out in the heat and decided to get out. I took a peek at Bella and Mike, who were still talking to each other at the other side. Once I got back to my towel and dried off, I tried to decide when it would be appropriate to interrupt them. Just as I was walking over, I saw Tyler emerge from the house with Rosalie in tow.

He was wearing a blank expression, and I saw him go right over to Bella and squeeze himself in between her and Mike. Jacob passed Rosalie on his way into the house, and she shut the door behind them.

**Bella's POV**

I somewhat reluctantly grabbed Mike's hand and allowed him to lead me to the other side of the pool. I was definitely having fun with Edward and Jacob, but I had to be fair and give everyone a chance, and I had been telling myself this whole time that Mike deserved more of my attention.

"I'm so glad I finally have this alone time with you," he told me.

"Me too," I said, somewhat honestly. I suddenly remembered Emmett and Jasper's comments about him this morning. "How was the early workout?" I half joked.

His face flushed and held tighter to my hand.

"Eh, it was okay, I wish I had time to stretch out a little before it. And besides, I haven't been training since I've been here, so I was kind of out of it."

I smiled at his sincerity. I assumed he would lie and go on about how athletically fit he had been, I was glad that he was being honest. I heard a shout and looked over to see Edward and Jacob, wrestling roughly in the water. I involuntarily smiled and watched the water cascade around their two toned bodies…

"Bella?" said Mike, looking anxiously at me.

I directed my attention back to him, and decided to ask him something that I had been wanting to ask him for a long time.

"Mike," I said. "Did you ditch your girlfriend to come onto this show?" I thought back on Jessica's confession just two days earlier.

"Um…well," he stuttered, looking at me and trying to find the right words. I sighed and looked down, he had just confirmed the truth of her statements. I definitely wasn't too crazy about the whole of idea of that because that meant he could do the same to me.

"The thing is, I _liked_ Jessica, but I never loved her. When I saw you, I just felt something…and I knew I had to come. When I saw you…" he said again. "I realized that with Jessica, I had just been settling."

I looked deeply into his clear blue eyes and smiled, but my attention was once again taken away from him and directed at Edward, who was drying off on the other side of the pool. I felt someone slide in next to me, and turned to see Tyler smiling down at me.

I heard the patio door open, and saw Jacob disappear inside the house with Rosalie.

**Edward's POV**

_11:59. _

Another elimination ceremony.

Four guys left.

I was pretty sure that I wasn't going home after the wonderful breakfast date that Bella and I had, but you could never be too sure. Jacob kept assuring me that he and I would be the final two, so I kept that thought in my mind as the cameras surrounded me and Bella's theme song came pounding out of the speakers.

As I watched her walk down the stairs, her two friends in tow, I thought back on the day we had out back by the pool. We had all been out there for hours, only coming in when it was dinner time. I was sure that we were going to have another challenge today, but nothing came up. I wondered what she was going to be basing her decision on this time.

The three girls reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to their respective spots in front of us. Bella, I noticed, looked very upset, which was confusing to me, because she usually was completely emotionless, so she wouldn't give anything away.

"Hello Boys," she said a loud voice. "And welcome to tonight's elimination ceremony."

She looked at each of us individually.

I shifted a little, feeling Jacob do the same right next to me.

She motioned to her friend Alice, who reached under her chair and gave Bella the signature wooden box of heart chains. There would only be three in there this time, and I prayed that one of them belonged to me, preferably the first one.

But when she opened the box, there were no heart chains, but a small electronic lap top that she quickly pulled out. She set it on a stool, facing us so we all could see.

Jacob and I looked at each other in question. _What was she doing?_

"I'm disappointed to say," she began. "That not all of you did well in the challenge today."

_Challenge?_??? What challenge???

"What challenge?" Jacob whispered to me, voicing my thoughts. I shrugged in response, watching the dark look on Bella's face. My heart immediately started pumping faster. If I didn't even know there was a challenge today, how could I have possibly done well? Maybe I _was_ going home. The thought absolutely sickened me, as I watched her put in a CD.

"I'm going to let this video speak for itself," she said, motioning to her lap top. "I think it will be pretty obvious who is going home tonight."

Us four guys all leaned in, and anxiously watched the screen as she started the CD. The cameras surrounded us, each one getting ready to gauge our reactions.

The second it started playing, I practically jumped out of my skin as I saw myself on the screen. _Oh no, I was going home_, _I was going home. _I watched in horror as a scene that had taken place earlier today played out before my eyes. Rosalie suddenly entered into view, and I was forced to relive that strange moment when she had tried to come onto me. All the guys watched as I brushed her off, and dove into the pool.

"Oh _FUCK_," someone said.

Once Mike came on the screen, I became even more confused. But as I watched him dismiss Rosalie as well, the cards suddenly fell into place and it made sense. One of these guys fell under her advances and allowed her to seduce them, and I was pretty sure who it was. Jacob came on the screen next, but he winked at me letting me know that he had passed too, and that he had figured out what was going on. We all watched as Rosalie came up behind Jacob in the kitchen, and tried to rub his back. He shot up immediately, looked at her with pure disgust, and exited the kitchen and back into the yard.

Next, Tyler came onto the screen.

"_Hey Tyler, what brings you inside?" Rosalie said in a husky voice, walking over to him as he shut off the bathroom light. _

"_Um, just using the bathroom," he answered, trying to avert his eyes away from her bikini clad - chest. _

"_Oh," she replied, moving in closer to him. "And Tyler, I think you're the best looking guy on this show, I have been rooting for you all along, you know."_

"_You have?" he asked, a smile breaking across his face as he leaned against the door jamb. _

_Rosalie nodded as she bit her lip seductively. _

_Tyler crossed his arms and moved toward her. "And if I don't win, maybe I could have a go at winning your heart huh?"_

"_Maybe," Rosalie shrugged playfully, and watched as Tyler stared at her lips. _

_All she had to do was look at his lips once, before he moved in to try and kiss her. _

"_Be right back," said Rosalie, leaving Tyler standing there in a very confused state._

I was absolutely _appalled_, after that video. All I wanted to do was just go pound Tyler into the ground, just like I had been wanting to do since the very first day. Everyone in the room turned to him with furious expressions.

"What an asshole," Jacob murmured, glaring at him. I went to take a step toward him, and tell him exactly how I felt, but Jacob stopped me and shook his head.

"To say that I am disappointed in you would be an understatement Tyler," scolded Bella from atop her podium. "I had given you many chances, and it's obvious that nothing has changed."

"Why is it all my fault! She came on to me!" he defended himself, turning bright red.

"It was a _challenge,"_ sneered Rosalie. "I was doing it for Bella. Do you think I wanted to that to any of you? I have a boyfriend that I love very much, and that I believe you met this morning."

Tyler visibly paled.

"So with that Tyler, you need to get out of my house, right away. Your stuff has already been packed, so all you need to do is turn around and walk out that door. So Hot Rod, this time, I'm not sorry about this, and I'm not falling for you."

We all watched as Alice pulled out an identical wooden box from under her seat and opened it to reveal the three heart chains. She motioned us forward with a small smile. Mike, Jacob, and I all went up to get our chains, and smiled as Bella put them around our necks.

"Leave already!" shouted Alice, who was staring at Tyler. He hadn't moved from his position at all, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh Emmett!!!" called Rosalie loudly up toward the stairs.

Tyler's eyes widened, and he rapidly turned around and practically ran out the door, slamming it behind him.

Once he was gone, Bella let out a big breath and turned to us with a tired look.

"I'm sorry that happened Bella," said Jacob, and we all nodded in agreement. We surrounded her in a big hug, causing her to giggle and her sad expression to brighten.

"You're right," she said, emerging from our circle. "There is no need to be upset, because I've got good news for the three of you."

She paused for emphasis.

"We're going to Cancun!"

**Review! – Sorry, I know I had some Tyler fans out there, but I've been hinting it from the beginning!! LOL**


	11. Chapter 11

**OKAY! I know it's been forever since I updated, but as I told you, I AM in London, and I've been ridiculously busy!! – There is just too much to do here! I would never forget you guys, but I will warn you there will probably be more time in between updates now. I am definitely going to finish this story, and I am going to try and update once a week! No flames please!! I'm very sorry. I have a good excuse though right? Thank you for all the PM's and reviews, they keep me writing! **

**Quick recap****: Mike, Jacob, and Edward are the remaining contestants, and they are on their way to Cancun. **

"Could you move?" said Jacob, who was trying to push past me in the skinny aisle of the airplane. Bella was directly in front of me, and the three of us were racing to get to the seat next to her. There was no way that I was going to forfeit my place right behind her, so I stood my ground and blocked him from getting around me. I tried not to laugh as I heard him mutter a curse under his breath.

We were inching forward slowly, and I finally saw the four seats that we would be occupying on the way there. I watched Bella anxiously, waiting for the moment when she would choose a seat. The second she sat down all the way to the left by the window, I launched my bag until it landed right next to her. I unsuccessfully tried to quell my triumphant smile as I edged my way over.

"Your so mature Edward," growled Jacob, who threw his bag in the seat next to mine. I ignored him and grabbed Bella's backpack so I could place it in the overhead bin.

"Thanks Edward," she smiled, sitting down and buckling her seatbelt. Once I put both of our bags next to each other, I took my place beside her and watched as Jacob and Mike fought to fit their bags together in the bin next to ours.

"My pleasure," I responded turning to face her. I suddenly wished that we would be sitting alone, just the two of us, without Jacob and Mike breathing down my neck on the other side. I might have gotten to sit next to her, but I knew Jacob wouldn't just lay back and let me have all of Bella's attention.

"Are you okay Mike?" asked Bella, watching him with a concerned expression. I saw him swaying as he went to sit down, his face a little green.

"Yeah," he said with his eyes closed. "I'm just not too crazy about airplanes."

"It's not too long of a flight," Bella said, trying to placate him. "You should just rest your head and try to relax."

"I love plane rides," interrupted Jacob, turning his back on Mike and shifting in Bella's direction. "But I can't wait to get to Cancun. We're going to have a blast…the beach, the water, so romantic..." His voice got lower as he trailed off and he was sending a suggestive look in her direction.

Luckily, the pilot came over the loud speaker the next moment so Bella didn't get a chance to respond. We all fastened our seat belts and I peered over Bella's shoulder when I felt the plane head out into the runway. I heard Mike whimpering down at the other end. Bella and I both looked over and saw him gripping the arm rests tightly, turning his fingers completely white.

Bella and I caught each other's gaze, and I saw her lips twitch into a tiny smile. I chuckled softly and put my head back as the plane ascended into the sky. This part of the ride was always my favorite, flying so fast up into the blue atmosphere, being higher than you have ever been before. The speed and rush of it all was exhilarating. I turned to see Bella staring out of the window, watching the ground get smaller, and the airport get even farther away.

"So big," she whispered, almost to herself.

"What?"

She turned to me and blushed, almost as if embarrassed that she was heard.

"Oh…um, I was just saying that the world is so big you know? Being in a plane always makes me realize how really small I am."

"I know what you mean; I was just thinking that this is my favorite part of the entire ride, going up like this."

She nodded and turned back to look out the window with a happy sigh.

After we had evened out, we were allowed to take our seatbelts off and stretch out if we wanted to. I had just pushed the button to recline my seat, when I saw a small pair of blue eyes looking at me through the seats in front of us.

The second they noticed that I had seen them; they widened and moved out from my line of vision. I was just going to ignore it, but a second later, they appeared again. I could tell they were the eyes of a small child just from the brightness and enthusiasm that lurked within the small blue orbs. This time, they held a hint of a smile, and I smiled back, watching the pair of eyes squint with silent laughter before they disappeared again.

As expected, a moment later the eyes came back, and I ended up laughing out loud as I realized this small child was playing a game with me.

"What's funny?" asked Bella with an amused look on her face. No one on the plane was really talking at the moment, so my laugh must have seemed an oddity.

I nodded my head slightly in the direction of the seats, and she just caught a glimpse of the small blue eyes. She looked back at me and giggled quietly, and we both leaned in a little closer, waiting.

The second the blue eyes came back and saw that Bella and I were now both watching, a little feminine giggle resounded, signaling to us that it was a little girl.

Bella brightened at the sound of the child's giggle, and leaned forward in her seat to put her eyes really close to the seat divide, getting completely involved in the little game. Once the girl came back into view, Bella allowed her a small glimpse of her face before she jerked out of the way, causing the little child to explode in laughter. I watched the whole scene play out, feeling a tightening in my heart.

"Amanda?" said a masculine voice from the seat right in front of Jacob. "What are you doing?"

The eyes disappeared from view for the last time as a burly man with a long brown beard lifted up to gaze at us from over the seats.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, making eye contact with me. "I'll keep her in her seat."

"Oh it was no problem," responded Bella immediately with a big smile. "Plane rides can get a little boring for children; there aren't too many ways to entertain yourself."

The man didn't answer, but just sat back down in his chair. We saw him bend over and whisper something to Amanda, and unfortunately she didn't reappear after that.

"She was cute," mused Bella. "I miss being that little, everything was so much easier then, ya know?"

"In some ways," I agreed. "But there is no reason to not have fun just because you're older. There are so many things I still want to do, not all of them necessarily for adults." I laughed.

"You sound like you're a kid at heart, just like me," Bella answered, laughing. "What types of things are you talking about?"

I sat and thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, I've never been to Disney World," I told her, shifting on my side so I could look into her eyes. "And I've always wanted to go."

"You haven't?" she said, looking absolutely scandalized. "I can't believe that! Every child is supposed to go to Disney World?! I almost feel as if I should take you there myself!" She pushed my arm slightly in a playful way and I grabbed her hand before she could bring it back.

I brushed my palm against the inside of her wrist and slowly linked my fingers through hers. The whole time, I couldn't take my eyes off of her, and I tried to communicate how happy she made me, even through moments like this.

"You would really take me?" I asked softly, almost whispering.

She nodded and bit her lip, causing my eyes to involuntarily drift in that direction. She saw my gaze and broke out into a blush, and I watched her own eyes copy mine, until for a moment; we were both staring at the same place. When we locked eyes again, it was obvious what we had both been thinking.

"Yes," she finally answered. "I would love to go to Disney World with you."

"You promise?"

Just as she was about to answer, Jacob launched himself clear over onto my seat.

"DEAR GOD!" he shrieked. He had practically fallen on the floor at my feet.

"Jacob!" cried Bella. "What happened?!"

He pointed a trembling finger at Mike, while the disgusted look on his face remained unmoving. My head snapped to the side just in time to see Mike spew his entire breakfast all over the seat in front of him.

"Oh _NO_," said Bella, the same time I groaned and closed my eyes. The smell of his vomit hit my nostrils and I immediately clamped my hand over my mouth.

"What is wrong with you dude, there is an air sick bag right there, don't you have any consideration for the people around you!?" said Jacob, scooting farther away from the mess. He was now sitting right on Bella's feet, with his legs across mine.

Mike was too far gone to answer Jacob's question, and we saw him holding his mouth as he kept gagging again.

"What seems to be the problem here?" asked an unsuspecting flight attendant who just walked by. The second she took in the scene, a very angry, but very composed expression took over her features. I stifled my laugh behind my hand.

"Oh dear," she politely snarled. She looked up and beckoned to someone from down the aisle. "We've got a code 48. Are you all right young man?" she asked Mike, but it was obvious she was very unconcerned about his actual well-being.

Mike looked up at her and shook his head violently, his cheeks still tinged with the eerie green color.

"Come with me," she said, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt with two fingers. "I can't have you disturbing the other passengers."

Mike scrambled up and followed the flight attendant and soon they were out of sight.

"Is someone going to clean that up?" snapped Jacob to no one in particular. "I don't really want to sit on the floor the whole way." As if on cue, three flight attendants with rags and some kind of extreme vacuum came over and started to mop up the mess.

_What a job. _

The little girl who had been playing with us earlier peeked over the seat at all the commotion.

"EW!!" she shrieked. "THROW UP!"

"Hush up pip squeak," muttered Jacob, giving her an evil snarl.

"Hey!" said Bella in a teasing voice. "That's my friend you're talking to there."

"Mine too," I piped in. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size." I nodded my head and threw him a smirk.

"Is that a challenge?" he responded. He threw a smirk to rival mine.

"Sure."

"Fine," said Jacob, scooting his body until he was leaning against the side of the plane. "Since all of us are so cozy here together, I say we play a little game."

"What kind of game?" asked Bella, leaning down and looking very interested. I suddenly realized that I was not going to get the alone time with Bella that I wanted this plane ride. With Jacob sitting practically on top of us, there was no way I would get her full undivided attention. Damn this stupid reality show. Good thing the cameras weren't allowed to film on the plane, at least I have them out of my face for a while.

"Anyone up for a little truth or dare?" he whispered, waggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Truth or dare," I responded, sounding sarcastically excited. "What is this, the back of a sixth grade school bus?"

"Aw c'mon Edward," said Bella, grabbing onto my hand. "It will be fun! I loved this game when I was little."

"Once again, Bella and I are in agreeance," said a smug Jacob. "Maybe the two of us can play by ourselves…if you aren't up for it that is-"

"I am," I put in hurriedly. "Let's play… Jacob, why don't you go first?" I turned to Bella and gave her a big smile, leaning over and casually brushing my shoulder against hers. I could feel the heat of her skin through my t-shirt and it sent a small thrill down my body. _What I wouldn't do to be close to her_. I shook my head and tried to keep my mind in the game, thoughts like that would have to come later.

"Okay…ummm, let's see…" He tapped his chin in a thoughtful manner, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. I had no doubt about whom he would be picking.

"Edward, truth or dare."

I narrowed my eyes. "Dare."

"Wonderful," he answered, looking around, rubbing his hands together evilly. While I was thinking about ramming my foot somewhere really unpleasant, his eyes shot back to mine with a frightening grin.

"Got it," he said. "I dare you to moon that elderly woman sitting across from us."

I stared at him for a split second before his words sunk in.

"Are you out of your mind?" I hissed, bending down closer to his face. "This is an airplane, that's illegal!"

"Aw, wittle Eddie backing out of his first dare," said Jacob shaking his head. "That's pretty pathetic," he continued in his normal voice.

It took everything I had not to punch that look off his face. It was crazy how Jacob and I could get along sometimes, and then absolutely want to destroy each other the next.

That's okay, it was my turn next.

"Because it's an _unreasonable_ dare, WOLF. You can't expect me to do something like that on a public airplane," I answered in a confident tone.

"Fine, you just have to do it for two seconds!" said Jacob, not ready to let me get out of it. "She probably won't even notice, it will be so quick."

"You have to do it, Edward," chuckled Bella. "It was a dare after all."

Without answering either of them, I began to unbuckle my belt. Jacob began to laugh, and Bella turned to face my direction, a beautiful blush rising up on her cheeks. I felt a little bit better when I saw her eyes run down my entire frame.

After my belt was successfully undone, I pulled my zipper down as quietly as I could. I shot the elderly lady a sly look out of the corner of my eye. She was two seats and an aisle away from me, not too bad of a distance. At least the people cleaning up Mike's seat were gone.

With a short huff, I sprang up out of my seat, turned my backside toward her, and dropped my pants. I counted to two in my head, praying to god that she wouldn't look over and see me. Luckily, she didn't. And I hastily pulled my jeans back up and plopped into my seat with a satisfied grin.

"Jacob, truth or dare."

"Dare," he answered immediately.

"I dare you to flash that woman for ten seconds!"

"You can't use the same dare!" he snapped.

"It's not the same dare, you dared me two seconds, I'm daring you ten." I crossed my arms and waited for him to contradict me.

Jacob shot a quick look at Bella. "Fine."

He reached to undo his own belt buckle, and squirmed out of his pants while he was still sitting. He grabbed the edge of our seats for leverage, and he turned his back to us and started moving down the aisle. When he was positioned right in front of me, he dropped his boxers and I was met with the sight of his bare behind.

I gagged slightly in my mouth.

"Get your hairy backside out of my face!" I hissed, my tone laced with venom and my eyes shut tight.

He chuckled and turned to face the woman.

"10…9…8" he started counting out loud. I peered around him at the old woman, who was oblivious to the naked 6'4 man to the right of her.

"7…6…5…4"

"Hey guys," said a different voice. "Sorry about that…_What are you..."_ I heard the voice trail off, and then another loud retching sound.

"MIKE!!!!" shouted Jacob. "Tell me you did not just throw up on me!!!!!"

My mouth dropped open in shock, and sure enough when Jacob spun around, Bella and I both saw that his back was covered in puke. He turned back to face us with a horrified expression.

"Edward, you better hold me back because I am going to kill him."

Mike was bent over, holding his stomach, and Jacob was fuming with his pants still down.

"WHAT! Pray tell, is the meaning of this!" said the flight attendant with her hands on her hips. Her eyes were alight with fury, and her mouth was tightly pursed. "This is NOT the mile high club gentleman!"

"I'm sorry," Mike squeaked. "I was feeling better, honest. But then I saw Jacob…so gross…oh god," he said, and we all turned to watch him run up the aisle once more for the bathroom.

"You come with me sir," she said to Jacob in an angry tone. "Right NOW." Jacob, who was more than anxious to clean himself up, disappeared behind her.

Once the three of them were gone, Bella and I burst into hysterics.

"I am so glad it was you who sat next to me Edward," she laughed, leaning her head onto my shoulder. She nuzzled her cheek and I rested my head on her forehead. I relished in the intimate moment, glad to have her back to myself.

"So am I. Too bad we had to cut our game short," I told her, even though it was obvious that I wasn't serious.

"I guess I'm the only one who didn't have to flash that old woman," she joked. "That doesn't seem fair."

"I would have never made you do that," I said seriously. "I don't think Jacob would have either."

"And why not?" she questioned, lifting her head and smiling at me. "You don't think I have the guts to do it?"

I cocked my head to the side, trying to analyze her facial expression.

"I didn't say that." My heart started to speed up drastically. _She wouldn't really do it, would she?_

"Well it's only fair if I do it to," she said, moving over until she was almost on my lap.

_Oh yes she would._

She plopped herself directly onto me, and I swallowed the groan before it could escape my lips. The soft pressure she was applying, and the moving around she was doing was a little more than I could take.

I heard her unzip her zipper and I shut my eyes against the feelings rushing toward my groin.

_Calm down, calm down. _I repeated those words like a mantra in my head. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel the effect that she had over me, but before I could get too worried, I felt Bella shoot up off my lap, her jean shorts pulled down halfway off her hips.

But for some reason, god only knows why, the old woman did not miss this one.

A loud elderly cackle filled the air, causing the entire airplane to snap their heads in our direction. I instinctively reached for Bella and pulled her onto my lap, ignoring for the moment how smooth the skin of her hips were. She hastily reached to refasten her pants, but the every attentive flight attendant was already there.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here."

_**Three hours later.**_

"Don't even think about speaking to me," said Jacob when Mike entered the hotel room that we had just checked in to.

The three of us had to share a room, no where near Bella who was in a suite on the top floor. The rest of the flight had not gone according to the plan I worked out in my head. Once the flight attendant caught Bella with her pants down, all four of us were given $1,000 fines. We were all separated from each other, and I had to spend the duration of the flight squeezed in next to a fat man who was spilling over onto my seat, and another sleeping man who had drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. I hadn't even been able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the country because we immediately had to go to the hotel.

I was not in a good mood.

"SORRY!" said Mike, in a tone that screamed the opposite. "I told the whole crew that I hate flying, and that I get airsick. It's not my fault."

"Did you have to throw up on me though?" shouted Jacob, rising up out of his bed to glare at Mike.

"It's not my fault the sight of you naked is nauseating," murmured Mike, falling onto his own bed.

I couldn't help it; I had to laugh at that.

"Shut up Edward," they both said in unison.

"Why don't you both shut up so I can get some sleep," I snapped back, making a show of getting under the covers. "We do have a challenge tomorrow you know."

They didn't respond, but grumbled as they got under the covers.


	12. Chapter 12

**So one of my best friends came to London with me the first week, and I told her that I write fan fiction for this site. Even though she knows I love to write, I'm sure she was more than a little bit shocked to find it out. HAHA, because I haven't really told any of my friends. (They would FLIP!) LOL, So then I come to find out she's been lurking on here and reading my stories without telling me who she is! **

**So this chapter is dedicated to her, haha, and you better reveal yourself miss!**

Surprisingly, I woke up early, despite the fact that I had been tossing and turning all night. Now that we were down to the wire, I was getting restless. This TV show business was not who I was, and throughout filming for the past week, I was beginning to find out it wasn't who Bella was either. Although the thought was comforting, it didn't even begin to ease up any of my nerves. There were still three left, and at this point, I wasn't sure that I would come out the winner. Even though Bella and I had spent many lovely moments together, I couldn't escape the truth that there was so much more to a relationship than that.

In my eyes, relationships were precious. Not that I had any great experience with them, but being with Bella made me realize that we could share something special. I just hope she felt it too.

I sat up sleepily, and took in the form of my sleeping roommates. Jacob was sprawled out across his mattress, snoring loudly, while Mike was cuddled up under his blankets soundly. Looking out the window I noticed that the sun was just rising, and I decided to take advantage of my down time to go out for a quick run.

I got out of bed, reached into my suitcase to pull out some sweats and a t-shirt. But my rustling must have disturbed Jacob because I heard him groggily wake up.

"What are you doing?" he asked, rubbing his hands over his face to wipe away the remnants of sleep.

"Just going for a run," I answered, without looking at him.

"Sounds good," he said, and before I knew it, he was getting up, determined to join me on my morning jog.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled, pulling my t-shirt over my head.

"Going jogging of course."

I didn't answer, and after a couple minutes we both headed out toward the beach not saying a word to each other. The heat of the morning covered my skin like a blanket the second I walked outside. My eyes squinted involuntarily against the sun as I headed out toward the beach that was overlooking our hotel.

Walking onto the sand slowed our pace automatically. While pure in its beauty and softness, it was deep and hard to tread on. I positioned myself right by the shore, in order to run in the wet sand which was much easier.

Jacob bent down to touch his toes beside me as I pulled my right arm over my head to stretch.

"Ready?" he said quietly.

"Ready."

And with that, we took off like bats out of hell down the coast. Jacob and I were both strong runners, but the heat of the morning, and the weight of the sand was overbearing. After about fifteen minutes, I felt my legs muscles starting to cramp, but there was no way I would be the first one to stop.

"Tired?" said Jacob breathlessly.

"Not even close," I lied, pushing myself so I ran a bit in front of him.

"Good, me either," he said, racing to catch up with me.

We pushed further, both of us stubborn enough not to quit.

"You think you're going to win don't you," he said after another couple minutes, obviously not talking about the current unspoken race we were having.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't," I responded as confidently as I could.

"It's not going to happen," he growled, edging forward.

Unwilling to let him take the lead, I willed my aching legs to keep up.

"If you say so, WOLF," I growled.

But the next moment, we both abruptly stopped as three cameramen and a vision in blue appeared before us, slightly further down the beach. It was Bella, and she was dressed in a dark blue bikini top with white work out shorts. She was smiling brightly and headed right for us.

**Bella's POV**

All the drama that had taken place on the plane had left me completely exhausted. The second I had reached my hotel suite, I passed out immediately, even though it was only 7:30. That was why I wasn't surprised when I woke up at the crack of dawn.

I climbed out of bed, poured myself a cup of coffee and walked out onto the deck, eager to watch the beautiful sunrise I saw creeping up over the horizon. Barefoot, I slid open the patio door and reveled in the warm brimming sunshine.

I took in the scenery, and closed my eyes, taking a breath of the fresh sea air. I gazed down at the beach, noticing that it was almost completely empty besides two bodies that I saw down at the far left end.

Even though they were far away, I knew automatically that it was Jacob and Edward. Jacob's deep russet skin was glistening in the sun, while Edward's bronze hair was blowing in a beautiful disarray from the breeze. I smiled and allowed myself a few minutes to watch them from afar. I saw them take off, faster than I expected, and observed how their strong bodies moved against the backdrop of the ocean.

Suddenly feeling like working out myself, I changed into a bathing suit and my favorite comfy shorts, and made my way out to join them. Unfortunately the second I opened my door, there were cameras waiting once again to capture each and every one of my movements. I sighed, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. I laughed slightly once we reached the sand and I heard them grumbling to themselves about the heat.

I made sure that I was on the opposite end of the beach, so I would be able to confront the boys without them knowing. I watched them running towards me at full speed, and a big smile lit up my face because I knew they hadn't noticed me yet.

But the second they did, they halted in their tracks and walked over, their exhaustion evident in their faces.

"Good morning," I called once they were in hearing distance.

They were both panting, perspiration covering the expanse of their entire bodies.

"Bella?" said Edward, resting his hands on his knees. "What brings you out here?"

"What? Do you think you guys are the only ones who enjoy a good run in the morning?" I boasted, pulling up my leg behind me to stretch my hamstring. "Besides, we have a long day ahead of us, I need to work out all my pent up energy." I winked and took off down the beach in the direction that they were running.

Soon enough, they both ran up on me from either side.

"What are we doing today?" asked Jacob, obviously still completely out of breath but trying to hide it.

"_**WE,**_being the most important phrase," I teased, knowing I was being completely cryptic.

"Who is _WE_ exactly?" questioned Edward warily. I smirked at him, and almost laughed out loud at his terrified face.

"Well you, me, Mike, and Jacob of course," I said, ending the sentence so that they knew there were more people.

"And?" asked Jacob, beginning to look as completely horrified as Edward. I knew they both did not want another shock like their ex girlfriends coming to visit.

Ha, if they only knew.

I just laughed in response, enjoying their discomfort.

"Bella," Jacob cried, almost in a whiny voice. "Is there anyone else?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Your parents."

**Edward's POV**

I loved my parents. Carlisle and Esme were probably the two most important people in my life, but it still stunned me beyond belief that they were going to be joining us in Cancun.

After running a bit more with Bella, Jacob and I silently went back up to our rooms to take a shower and have breakfast. We wouldn't be seeing her again until dinner, where we would also apparently be seeing our parents. Jacob slammed the door open, startling Mike who had still been sleeping.

"Wha-What's going on?" he murmured, looking at us through half closed lids.

"Great news mama's boy," Jacob said cheerfully, flopping down on his bed.

I chuckled loudly and threw myself onto my own bed, realizing only after that I was completely drenched in sweat. I groaned and dragged myself up to grab a towel.

"News?" responded Mike, looking at Jacob anxiously.

"Mommy and Daddy are coming to visit today," Jacob said in a baby voice, grinning widely at Mike.

"Whose Mommy and Daddy?"

"All of ours, she wants to meet our families," I interrupted.

Mike's face went ghostly pale, and his mouth dropped.

"No…" he said, looking back and forth between us to see if we were lying.

"Yes," Jacob and I answered in unison.

"Oh god," he said forcefully, putting his hand up to his mouth. "Please tell me you're joking." His face was contorted in fear, and I stopped what I was doing to look at him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's my mom…" he trembled, lowering himself slowly back onto his pillow.

**Bella's POV**

I straightened out the hem of my dress and glanced at myself in the mirror once more before I headed downstairs. I decided on a simple and conservative sleeveless black dress that hit just above my knees. I wanted to look nice and make a good first impression.

I walked over to the bed to look over my notes that my manager had just handed me. Edward's mother and father were coming, along with Jacob's father and Mike's two parents. I sighed and willed my nerves to settle, knowing that I wanted to be as calm as possible when I met all of them. It was never exactly a fun experience when you were meeting your potential boyfriend's family, and this time I was doing it three times over.

I turned my head around when I heard the knock at my door.

"Bella?" a male voice said, "Everyone's waiting, you almost ready?"

"I'm ready," I told him, "I'll be right down."

Knowing that there was no use stalling anymore, I slipped on my heels and headed down to the private dining hall where we would be having our dinner. I walked onto the escalator, being careful not to trip. That was definitely what I needed, injuring myself and proving how much of a klutz I am. Luckily, I made it downstairs unscathed.

Once I stepped inside the hall, I was happy to see that the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I saw Edward, deep in conversation with his mother, while his father looked on at the two of them happily. His father was ridiculously good looking, and I couldn't help but gaze at him a little longer than necessary. He had deep blond hair that fell just like Edward's, and it was impossible not to see the love that radiated out of his eyes as he looked at his wife and son. Edward's mother was also very beautiful, and she was practically glowing as she explained something, causing her two family members to laugh out loud.

Farther down the table sat Jacob and his father, who I noticed was confined to a wheelchair. But he was grinning madly at his son, and it was apparent to me that they had a very close relationship indeed.

My smile faltered a bit as I took in Mike's family.

His mother was inspecting the room with an appraising eye, her nose high in the air and ivory rimmed glasses perched on her narrow shaped nose. His father, to my utter surprise, had already started eating, and was currently shoveling a large spoonful of mashed potatoes into his wide mouth. Mike was sitting between them, fidgeting with a napkin on his lap.

I cleared my throat and clasped my hands in front of me, half smiling at the crowd.

The first pair of eyes I met were Edward's, and he immediately smiled back at me, swiftly standing up and coming around the table.

"You look unbelievable," he whispered in my ear, as he delicately grabbed my hand and gave it a swift kiss. I tried to hide my happy blush as he led me around the room to introduce me to his parents.

"Mom, dad, this is Bella," he said proudly, turning to look at me with the happiest expression I had ever seen on his face.

"Bella," his mother said warmly, standing up and grasping my hand between both of hers. "It is so wonderful to finally meet you; Edward here has talked about you non-stop since he's been gone."

"All good things I hope," I laughed, leaning in to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Hello Bella," said his father, putting his arm around his wife and giving me a big smile. "And thank you for giving us this opportunity to travel. We really can't thank you enough."

"It was my pleasure," I responded.

"Hey there, don't hog her," said a deep voice coming from down the room. I peered around Edward's parents and saw Jacob's father facing me with open arms.

I walked over to him and bent down to accept his hug. I laughed loudly when he almost made me topple over by the force of it.

"You must be Jacob's dad?" I said, leaning back up and throwing Jacob a big smile.

"Just call me Billy," he said, clapping his son on the knee. Jacob was beaming and he placed a strong hand on his father's shoulder.

I nodded and made my way around the table to where Mike and his parents were sitting. His father looked at me from the corner of his eye, made sure he took one more big bite of potatoes and stood up hastily, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Hello there, Bella," he said with his mouth full. "I'm Mr. Newton."

"John PLEASE, swallow your food before you begin speaking," said his wife angrily. She turned to me and gave my outfit a once over. It was quick, but I caught it anyways.

I looked down at myself carefully, just to make sure everything was in place. Seeing that it was, I glanced back up and plastered a smile on my face.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Newton," I said, holding out my hand for her to shake. She shook it for barely a second and returned to fanning herself lightly.

"Yes, well, thank god there is air conditioning in this room. I practically melted this morning in this treacherous heat."

"That's because you insisted on wearing that ratty old sweater you love so much," her husband grumbled. Her head snapped in his direction and she gave him a murderous glare.

Mike cleared his throat and shot me an apologetic glance. I waved it off and walked over to my seat at the head of the table.

"Dig in everyone," I said, motioning to the wide array of food that lay steaming on the table. There was boneless chicken, steamed vegetables, bowls of lasagna, garlic bread, plates of macaroni and cheese, salmon, and of course, mashed potatoes.

"Thank you Bella," said Billy. "We wouldn't have dreamed of starting our dinner without you."

Mike's dad sheepishly looked up, his fork pausing in midair for a moment as he took in Billy's comment. Jacob elbowed his dad quietly in the ribs, but with a playful smirk on his face.

"And…you are?" said Mike's mom, folding her hands together and glaring at Billy.

"Billy Black ma'am," he answered. "Nice to meet you, I tried to introduce myself before, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"How strange," she answered, without missing a beat. She cast her eyes down and began to scoop some baked ziti onto her plate.

"So Bella," said Edward's mom, who was closest to me. "How is the show going? It must be quite an experience."

The warmth of her voice was catching, and I turned to face her, immediately feeling as if I could talk to her openly.

"To be honest," I said. "I never really wanted to do the show. Two of my best friends kind of trapped me into it. But, I can't say that I regret it now since I've met such wonderful people."

"Here, here," said Carlisle, raising his wine glass for a toast.

Everyone raised their glasses with the exception of Mike's mother.

"I don't drink," she sniffed.

I took a big gulp of my champagne.

"So," I began. "How do you feel about your sons being here?" I didn't really want to throw that question out there so plainly, but due to the prompting of the producers, I had to.

"Well if we're being honest here," cut in Mike's mother the second the question had left my lips. "I might as well tell you I'm not that pleased about it."

"Mom," hissed Mike, glaring at her.

"No it's okay," I said, "She's entitled to her own opinion."

"Indeed," she answered. "I don't know who you are from Eve. I don't know your family, I don't know where you came from, and I think going through dozens of men to find the right one is a bit…" she pursed her lips as if looking for the right word. I watched her drum her long red fingernails slowly on the table in front of her.

"Presumptuous," she finally said.

I let out a long breath, it could have been worse.

"I don't think it's presumptuous at all," said Esme, giving my hand a slight pat. "A woman these days should be able to find exactly what she wants, and not have to settle for anything less."

"Thank you," I whispered, giving Edward a big smile, but he didn't notice because he was too busy glaring at Mike's mom.

"So flipping around coyly, and throwing herself at hordes of men is not presumptuous?"

I sucked in a breath, completely taken aback by her personal attack towards me.

"She isn't throwing herself at anyone," said Edward, slamming his fork down lightly on the table. "Bella has been nothing short of a lady to all of us."

"I agree to that," said Jacob, his voice strong with conviction.

"Why don't we just enjoy the meal?" said Carlisle brightly, trying to bring the conversation back on safer grounds. But it did little good, because although Edward and Jacob ceased staring at her, I could tell they were eating with forced politeness.

"So," said Billy, taking a healthy bite of chicken. "This sure is wonderful food isn't it?"

No one really answered, so before it could get awkward, I leaned over and said, "Very good, the chefs here are absolutely incredible aren't they? I haven't eaten such good food like this in a long time."

"Do you not cook?" asked Mike's mother. "Mikey needs to eat three solid meals a day; he needs a woman with strong sense in the kitchen."

"Well I'm sure _Mikey _can cook for himself," muttered Jacob into his glass, causing Edward to snort in laughter.

Mike shot daggers at him from across the table.

"Um..I can cook a few things," I answered, trying to be as honest as possible. "Nothing like this, but I would love to learn."

"Oh, I would love to teach you Bella," said Esme happily. "Anyone with taste buds can cook you know."

"That would be great," I answered sincerely. "Thank you."

"I would have to disagree with that statement, cooking is an art form. There are many details that go alone with creating a decent dish. You can't just throw together any old thing and expect someone to be satisfied with it." Mike's mom daintily cut her meat. "It took me years to perfect my skills, and I started at a very young age."

I felt my blood start to boil beneath my skin; she was really starting to get on my nerves. I stabbed some macaroni a bit too harshly and brought it up to my mouth, trying to keep the frown off my face.

"Well not everyone needs a three course meal for dinner every night," said Edward casually, not looking up from his plate.

"Yeah," said Jacob smugly. "I don't mind hotdogs and potato chips every now and then myself."

Mike's mom looked condescendingly at Jacob, and then gave the same look to Edward.

"Clearly, not everyone grew up as privileged as Mikey here. He isn't used to such a diet of hotdogs, and potato chips," she sneered in a quick breath.

That did it, it was just too much. I stood up quickly, my chair skidding across the floor loudly.

"Excuse me?" I said, looking directly into her eyes. "Whatever you meant to imply with that statement, I think you're being extremely rude."

"Rude?" she said in a tone laced with mock surprise. "Or honest?"

I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes, feeling my fingertips grip the tablecloth angrily.

"_Rude_."

I gave an apologetic smile to Esme and walked towards the door.

"Thanks to you, I've lost my appetite. You can say whatever you want about me, because your words are meaningless in my eyes. But don't you dare talk about my boys."

And with that, I stormed out of the room.

**Review! – You too Kat! hahaha**


	13. Chapter 13

_**RIP Heath Ledger. **_

_**I was **__**SO**__** upset when I heard, and I still can't really believe it..**_

_**tear**_

**Diclaimer: Not mine.**

**Edward's POV**

The second that Bella stormed out of the room, I jumped up to follow. I couldn't believe that Newton's mother was so _unbelievably_ disrespectful. Even though I wanted to stay and give her a piece of my mind, nothing could stop me from going to Bella.

Except _Jacob_, I thought angrily as I felt him roughly push me out of the way.

I bit my tongue and we both flew out the door basically at the same time.

We began jogging in the direction that she had fled and we saw her just as she rounded the corner to her room. Without a second thought, we bounded up the stairs, and just reached her door as she slammed it shut.

Jacob and I exchanged an anxious look.

"Should we knock?" he whispered, eyeing the doorknob. "Or just walk in?"

"We can't just _walk in_," I hissed. "It's her bedroom, not the public bathroom."

He scowled at me and crossed him arms.

"Well?"

"Well what?" I snapped.

"Are you going to knock?"

"Why do I have to knock?"

"Are you afraid to?"

"Of course not! I just don't know why it has to be me."

"….you're afraid. I can tell."

"I am not!"

"You are."

"Are not!!"

"I can hear you," said a small voice from inside.

Jacob and I froze instantly and leaned in closer to listen.

"Bella?" I said warily. "Are you okay?"

She flung the door open quickly and stood in the threshold. Her face was flushed bright red and her hair was escaping from her bun, framing her face with soft flyaway curls. Her lips were held tight together, and there was a gleam in her large brown eyes.

She looked beautiful.

"Are _you_ okay?" She said, throwing my question back at us. She glanced between Jacob and I both, for some reason looking very concerned.

"We're fine?" I answered. "We were worried about you."

She turned and silently motioned us into her room, closing the door with a soft click once we both came inside.

"I can't believe the _gall_ of that woman!" she shouted suddenly, causing Jacob and I to jump up in utter surprise. "If that wasn't on television!"

Jacob and I watched as she paced around the room, telling us everything that she would do to Mike's mother if half of America wasn't watching. She then proceeded to call her almost every name in the book, throwing her arms wildly in the air and growing more agitated every minute. When she finally finished, she turned to us, hands on her hip, completely out of breath.

"You guys hungry?" she panted.

"Ehm…yeah," I said, a little behind from the abrupt subject change. Jacob nodded and she turned around quickly, went to her fridge and pulled out an overflowing tray of frosted cupcakes. They were covered in multicolored sprinkles and shaped like hearts.

"Wow, those look delicious," commented Jacob, eyeing the tray.

Bella nodded knowingly. "Liz makes them. She works on the set, she's an incredible baker." She handed us each one and we all bit into it, groaning at how good they were.

Fifteen minutes and three cupcakes later, I found myself on Bella's bed, sitting comfortably between the two of them.

"Tyler was such a scumbag," said Jacob shaking his head as he bit into another cupcake. "You should have heard some of the things he said off camera."

"Oh I heard him all right," said Bella, swallowing visibly. She tapped her temple, smirking at both of us. "I was always watching."

"Always?" Jacob teased playfully, waggling his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner.

"Not _always_," she giggled. "In fact, I've been meaning to ask you two, how did Ron manage to get that snake into the toilet? I mean it was funny, but I _still_ can't figure it out to this day. I even talked to the trainers and they were completely clueless."

She looked at us, smiling expectantly.

Jacob shrugged and cocked his head to the side and turned to me.

"To be honest," I said, "I really don't know. He never told me."

"I thought you guys were in on it?" she questioned, leaning in closer.

"We were," I said truthfully. "But it was sort of all his idea. All we had to do was lock him in the bathroom. We figured he must have put the snake in before that. But I really don't know how he did it."

"Hmph," said Bella lightly, and it was silent for a moment as we all got lost in our own thoughts.

"Anyways, no matter how he did it, it was still pretty damn funny," said Jacob.

"He deserved it anyways," I added. "I wanted him to go home from the beginning."

"Me too," said Jacob. "But I think I wanted Tyler gone most of all. I couldn't stand him."

"I probably would have sent him home first," revealed Bella. "But I couldn't keep Eric around after he tried to bribe me with that bracelet."

As I nodded, I was once again struck with how wonderful a person Bella truly was.

One thought kept repeating in my mind.

I had to win.

**Bella's POV**

_You got me trippin…_

One cue, my music came pounding out of the speakers of the hotel lobby. It was midnight, and it was time for the second to last elimination ceremony. However, I was definitely not looking forward to it because I was a little riled up from dinner. I couldn't believe the nerve of Mike's mother, and I was still fuming over some of her comments. Truth be told, I wanted to dump my entire glass of wine on her, and I was close to doing just that. But I knew I would have regretted it, especially when it would broadcast over national television.

However, after I made my somewhat dramatic exit, Edward and Jacob came to my rescue, cheering me up over a plate of heart shaped cupcakes.

I thought of the three remaining contestants as I descended the stairs.

_Edward…_

_Jacob…_

_Mike..._

Only three left. How did time past so quickly? Even though several contestants had already gone home, I was still pretty sure that I had been making the right decisions. And tonight was no different.

Many of the local residents had shown up to act as a studio audience for the ceremony, so walking down the stairs was somewhat more frightening this time. Cheers and whistles rang out from every side, echoing off the high marble walls and involuntarily making an embarrassed blush cover my face. I laughed quietly as I read a sign someone was holding that said '_I Can Make you Fall forMe.'_

My eyes eventually reached my three boys, and I took in their frightened faces. To my complete dismay, their parents were each placed behind them, so I made sure to divert my eyes away from Mike's mother. I was pretty sure she was doing the same thing.

As I got the bottom of the steps and walked over to my makeshift podium, I felt a pang of loss for not having Alice and Rose with me. It was the first time that they were missing, but I knew that they weren't coming with me on the last one either, so I should consider this as almost a sort of practice.

But I didn't want to think about the last one right now, because I still had to get through tonight. I took a deep breath and rose up both my hands, signaling for the crowd to quiet down. After a few moments, the entire room was silent.

"Welcome," I said, as loudly as possible. "To our second to last elimination ceremony."

The crowd went wild once again, and I couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm. The only people in the room who remained quiet, were the boys that stood in front of me.

"And thank you," I said gesturing to everyone around me. "For your hospitality and for being so kind while we were here. Unfortunately, for one of you, your trip has to end tonight. The person leaving has to immediately go upstairs and pack their bags."

I saw Jacob swallow visibly, and Mike close his eyes as if he was in a silent prayer.

"With that said, I guess it's time to get started."

I watched as a tall man dressed in a handsome suit wheeled over a cart that held my infamous wooden box. I nodded to him in thanks, and bent down to open the lid. Sure enough, there were only two chains to be given away.

I sighed, pulled out the first chain, and held it in my hands.

"This first chain goes to someone that I am confident I have a connection with. He makes me smile, and there is no denying the chemistry between us. There is no way I'm sending you home tonight because in my heart, I feel as if we could be something special. And I need you there for my final round…Handsome, this chain is for you."

Edward's face lit up into a beautiful smile, and he ran his hand through his hair letting out a sigh of relief as he walked over. I peered behind him and saw his parents embrace each other, genuinely happy for their son.

"That never gets any easier," laughed Edward as he stood before me. I was just itching to throw my arms around his neck, and I saw him clenching his fists at his side, almost as if he wanted to do the same.

"Thank you Edward, for sticking up for me today," I told him as I placed the heart chain around his neck.

"She was out of line," he responded. "She doesn't know you."

I nodded, thankful for him, and shooed him playfully back to his spot. The crowd whistled and clapped loudly all around us as I reached into the box to pull out my second chain.

This was it.

Jacob…or Mike.

I saw Billy looking at me with a serious expression. His eyes flitted to Jacob quickly, and I stealthily threw him a quick wink, letting my mouth turn up into a half smile. I heard him chuckle softly to himself, and I knew that he had got what I was trying to tell him.

"Will the two remaining contestants please come forward," I said in a serious tone.

Jacob and Mike both stepped out of their places in line, the anxiousness apparent on both of their faces.

"I have one chain in my hand, and two of you standing before me. You both are wonderful men, and I sincerely mean that, but throughout this whole experience, I've let my heart guide my decisions, and that's why tonight…"

I sighed, glanced at the floor for a second before bringing my eyes up to meet Jacob's.

"Wolf…this chain is for you."

Jacob brought both hands up to his face, and shook his head quickly back and forth . But the second he stepped forward to receive his chain, I saw his bright beaming smile beaming through his fingers.

"Oh c'mon," I whispered teasingly. "You honestly didn't think I was sending you home did you?"

He shrugged and fingered the thick band around his neck, almost as if to make sure that it was really there. "You could have decided you hated me within the last 2 hours, how was I supposed to know?" he joked.

I laughed at his joke good naturedly, but when I turned back to Mike, my smile faltered.

He looked devastated.

"Mike," I began, and the crowd hushed, hanging on my every word. "I want to be honest with you. And I really need you to know, that I did not base my decision on anything that happened tonight."

He remained silent, but closed his eyes for a few seconds and pursed his lips, making it seem like he didn't believe that was true.

I stepped down off my podium and met his gaze directly.

"You're going home tonight because I've realized that we could never be anything more than friends. I don't feel the same connection that I feel with Jacob and Edward, and while I appreciate your sentiments, I just can't return them…So I'm sorry, but Homeboy, _I'm not falling for you_."

I saw him wince and I repressed the feelings of guilt that began to creep into my system. I couldn't start to feel bad now, I told myself. There could only be one winner.

Only one winner, _I repeated in my mind. _

Only one.

Jacob…or Edward?

The thought hit me like a ton of bricks, and I was surprised I didn't stumble or lose my balance. This whole time, Jacob and Edward stood strongly at the top of my favorites list. I could always keep them safe, and give myself peace with the notion that neither of them had to go home. I had never even considered kicking them off, because the truth was…

_I had fallen for both of them._

But I had three more days to make that decision, and there was a lot that I had planned for them until then.

I saw Mike slowly turn around and walk back to his parents with his head hung low. His dad looked a bit sheepish and patted him awkwardly on the back, while his mother, to my utter annoyance, was trying to conceal a grin. She bent down to whisper something in his ear, and he gently pushed her away and headed out the front door, closing it with an audible slam.

"Okay," I breathed, pushing away the last shreds of guilt from my mind. "As you can see, that leaves you, Handsome, and you…Wolf."

Jacob and Edward were both looking at me fully focused, oblivious to the onlookers all around us. I felt like I was the only person in the room.

"The last elimination ceremony will take place exactly three days from now, on a private beach about 6 miles from here. There will be no one else around, just the three of us and a single camera. But…until then, I will spend one full day with each of you, and Handsome, you're first."

I watched him break out into a dazzling smile, and I couldn't help but return it fully. I was very excited for my date with Edward tomorrow, and I had secretly insisted that the producers allow me time with him first, the only reason being…I missed him.

"And the following day," I continued. "I will spend with you Wolf."

Jacob nodded; although I could tell he was a little miffed that Edward was going before him.

"With that said," I motioned to the crowd around me. "Thank you all for coming, and for being so supportive."

As the crowd exploded for the last time, I turned and headed back up the stairs, planning on calling Alice and Rosalie at the first possible second. I gave one more wave at my boys before I turned the corner, completely out of sight.

I slipped off my heels and relished the feeling of my bare feet on the thick carpet. I was definitely not a fan of those darn things, but of course I had no say in my wardrobe these days. I flung my door open, shut it and then immediately shrugged out of my dress, taking care to remove my microphone gently. I pulled on a big t shirt and a pair of navy sweatpants, flopped on the bed and reached for my cell phone.

"Bella!"

She answered after one ring, just as I knew she would.

"Hey Alice," I sighed, rolling over onto my back.

"How did it go!? Are you okay? What did Mike say? Did you cave and call Mike's mom a raging psycho bitch? Wait, hold on, here's Rose."

My head was spinning and before I could catch up with her, I heard Rose shriek into the phone.

"Bella! How was the ceremony!? Ugh! I can't believe we weren't there."

"I know, it wasn't the same without you two," I supplied truthfully.

"How did Mike take it? Hold on, let me put it on speaker."

I heard her fumble with the phone for a second and I took the time to walk over to the fridge and pull out a water bottle.

"Not so good," I told them a moment later after taking a huge sip. "He didn't say much, so I kind of think he knew all along that out of the three of them, he would be the one going home."

"I think everyone knew that," joked Alice.

"Yeah and it's about time," said Rosalie seriously. "I knew you would never pick him."

"Me too," I agreed. "To be honest, I think I knew it would be between Jacob and Edward right from the beginning."

**Edward's POV**

"I knew it would be me and you right from the beginning," I heard Jacob say as we both watched Bella ascend the staircase and disappear from view. The second she was gone he turned to me and I met his gaze reluctantly.

But to my surprise, he was smiling.

"Didn't I tell you?" he pushed.

I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Yes Jacob, you did tell me."

He smirked and placed his arm around my shoulder.

"Just me and you then," he said.

"Just me and you."

"Jacob and Edward."

"Yes."

"Or you _could_ say, Edward and Jacob."

"You could."

"Wolf and Hand-"

"Would you stop!?" I cried, finally interrupting him and throwing his arm off me. I headed toward the stairs, but couldn't keep the smile out of my voice.

"You're getting on my nerves…_mutt_."

"You always get on my nerves."

**I'm sure I've shocked you all with my decision to send Mike home this time. HA! Most of you have been begging me to send him home from the beginning. But I knew he was always going to be top 3, lol. Anyways, down to the last two!**

**So who's it going to be? **

**P.s – I caught my sneaky best friend. Her penname is 'edwardNOTjacob'. I'm sure she thought that this was really clever because my penname is ronOReds, or that is what she said? LOL? Send her a message and tell her she's awesome!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Edward's POV**

The bright sun shone through the large window in my room, effectively waking me up from my sleep. It was one of those mornings where the second you break into consciousness, your mind reminds you of the day ahead and you become unmistakable alert.

_Today was my date with Bella._

A whole day. Just me and her. No other contestants vying to steal her attention, no crazy innate challenges that wreak havoc on my nerves, and no Jacob. I wanted to make sure that this day was special. A day born for just us, and us alone.

I scrambled out of bed, anxious to get started and collect on my time with her. I wasn't sure how early she would be coming to get me, but when she did I would make sure I was ready. I walked over to the bathroom, lithe in my steps so as not to wake my roommate. The last thing I needed was one of his biting remarks - no doubt planned to put me on edge– and that was definitely not how I wanted to start off my day.

I turned on the hot water of the shower, allowing it to stream over my tense body as I willed myself to calm down. But somehow, today, my nerves were different. I was as riled up as ever, but this time it was with excitement. I wasn't nervous or scared as I would normally be.

I was ready, and I was ready to just…be.

Somewhere, deep in the pit of my very soul, I knew that I wouldn't have to plan or come up with elaborate schemes to impress her. She wasn't that type of woman. I knew that me and her together, was just something that came natural, and it was so consumingly sweet that two people could exist in such a way.

After ten minutes or so, I turned off the water, quickly toweled off and threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt. I wasn't sure exactly where we would be going, so it seemed a more simple outfit would be my best bet.

Glancing at the clock as I stepped back into the bedroom, I distantly noticed that it was only 7:30. Bella had proved to be a late sleeper, so I sighed heavily knowing that I probably had about a few hours before we would start our day. Feeling restless, I grabbed my i-pod and headed outside on the patio, planning to relax and gather my thoughts until I was summoned for our date.

I planted myself on the nearest deck chair, scrolled to my favorite song, and rested the back of my head against a towel.

Even at 7:30, the heat was staggering, and I couldn't help but open my eyes against it to gaze at the wide expanse of ocean the view from my patio provided me with. The beach was empty…

Except for…her.

She was there, on the beach, alone.

She wore a white sundress that danced brilliantly around her knees as she stared out peacefully onto the water. Her long mahogany locks whipped around her face, creating an image of pure innocence and beauty, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

I slowly got up and made my way over to the edge of the balcony and placed my two hands in front of me, admiring her from afar.

At that moment, in the blazing warmth of the morning, such a strong emotion passed through me, that it was almost painful in its intensity. And in my mind, right at that second, I knew.

She was the one for me.

It wasn't just because she was so breathtaking, or that she was fair and gentle, warm, soft and loving. It was all of those things of course, but what made my heart literally burst in my chest, was the fact that with every bone in my body, I knew that she was made specifically for me. I felt it, and nothing in my life had ever felt more real.

I blinked back an embarrassing onslaught of tears that threatened to fall at my new revelation. But as if gravity shifted and alerted her of my presence, she turned around and her eyes met mine.

I distantly saw her face break out into a blurred smiled, and she jumped up and waved excitedly. I choked out a laugh and forced myself to wave back happily. She of course, had no idea of the emotional rollercoaster I had just been through these past two minutes. I watched her wave me down, signaling me to join her down on the beach.

I put my hand up in acknowledgment, and immediately spun around, planning to make it down there as fast as I could. But as expected, I was met with a horde of camera men outside my door. Needless to say that even after all this time I still wasn't used to them trailing me like they did. My good mood faltered slightly, but only for a brief moment. Although I wasn't happy about them joining me on this special day, there was basically nothing I could do about it.

Walking down into the hotel lobby, I was met with wide smiles and words of bold encouragement. The locals found it extremely exhilarating that we were here in their country filming our show, and to my utter fascination had drawn sides. The '_Team Edward'_, and '_Team Jacob'_ signs had not escaped my notice.

I waved politely back, and laughed good humorly as an older man came up and slapped my on the back, muttering something in Spanish that I couldn't understand. I felt like everyone's eyes were on me, watching me head out to my girl who was waiting for me on the beach.

With that thought in mind, I hurried my stride as I headed over to the place that led out to the sand. In my haste, I opened to the door too quickly and ended up bumping it into a small local girl, effectively spilling her basket of flowers all over the ground.

"Oh!" she gasped, and looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Ah, Lo Siento," I exclaimed, immediately bending down to help her gather them up. _Calm down Edward_, I mentally berated myself, completely embarrassed for my actions. You could have seriously harmed this poor girl.

However, she looked anything but hurt, and she kept throwing hurried looks in my direction as I helped her refill her small wicker basket. I held out my hand to help her up when we were through. I was just about to ask if she was okay when she surprised me by holding out a single lavender short stemmed flower.

"Bella," she said, and nodded her head twice, willing me to understand. "Por Bella."

Her hand was trembling slightly, but a huge smile was on her face. There was no way I could say no to her, and I wished that I had something to give her in return, at least a coin or something, but unfortunately my pockets were empty. I patted my shorts, to indicate that I had nothing.

But she waved her hand in a dismissive manner, and pushed the meager flower farther in my direction.

"Gracias," I said. "Gracias."

I bowed and placed a light kiss on her hand, and as I walked away, I made a mental note not to forget her kindness.

I made my way out onto the sand, already seeing Bella in the distance. She was facing me as well, and the second I was in a reasonable range, she held her arms out for me. I ran forward, not too fast, and scooped her up in a huge hug, swaying gently on the spot.

"Are you ready for our date?" she whispered, her breath hot against my neck.

"More than ready," I replied, pulling back and smiling into her beautiful face. I put her down, but for some reason could not unlock my arms to let her out of the embrace. She didn't seem to mind however, she just wove her hands tightly around my neck.

And we stood there in silence, slightly longer than courtesy deemed normal, until she broke us out of our unspoken trance.

"I think you're going to like what I have planned today," she told me.

I laughed. "And what's that?"

"Follow me," she said happily and untangled herself from my hold. She wrapped her small hand around mine tightly, and began to pull me off the beach. I let her lead me until we reached the front of hotel, where I saw a horse and carriage waiting for us.

I balked, obviously not used to seeing such a thing.

"Are we taking this?" I asked incredulously.

Her eyes wavered self consciously for a minute.

"I thought it would be fun." She wrung her hands nervously and kept glancing between me and the carriage.

"Fun?" I repeated. "Bella this is incredible!"

We were in the heart of Mexico after all, and I knew that deep down in the more rural areas, many of the locals still rode horses. Of course not with carriages attached to the back, but it would definitely be more fun this way.

She brightened at my words and continued to drag me until we were both seated in the makeshift chairs. It wasn't very comfortable, but that was probably the last thing on my mind the second Bella had snuggled into my side. I rubbed her arm softly, drawing light circles on her arm and placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head.

For a moment, we just sat there.

"So where's our driver?" I asked, suddenly realizing that we should be moving.

"Right here," she said, placing a hand on her chest.

My smile remained frozen in place. I distantly remembered a conversation I had with Bella that morning over pizza where she admitted to not being that good of a driver.

"Bella," I treaded carefully. "Why don't you let me drive?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Why?"

"Oh you know, I've uh… always wanted to drive one of these things," I said, patting the wooden side for emphasis.

"You have?" she replied suspiciously.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry Edward, but this is my date and therefore only proper that I drive," she grinned and picked up the reins. "Maybe, just maybe though, I'll let you drive on the way back."

And before I had a chance to respond, she snapped the cords tightly on the horse's backside, sending it into an uncontrollable frenzy. The carriage jerked forward instantaneously, basically sending me flying sideways. I gripped the wooden plank that we were sitting on just in time.

I watched as people in the street were screaming and diving to get out our way. Bella, pretty much aware that she was going too fast, tried to slow down the horses but somehow succeeded in only making them speed up.

I saw us approaching trees up ahead, with no place for the carriage except a narrow dirt path.

"Bella!" I cried, reaching for her. "Give me the reins; we've got to slow them down!"

She nodded quickly and tried to pass them to me, but it was too late. We flew into the forest, barely remaining on the dirt path.

"Edward!" Bella shrieked, as we went barreling through the trees, the carriage tipping precariously onto one side. I grabbed her roughly and pulled her to me, making sure that I had a strong grip on her. I stood up slowly, trying to keep my balance, and reached out for the reins. But we were moving so fast, and with me trying to keep Bella safe, it was hard to grab them.

"Edward!!" Bella screamed again, this time with a strong note of panic in her voice. My head jerked up and I saw we were headed right for a small lake. Throwing all caution to the wind, I moved swiftly and lunged at one of the horses, just making it onto his back.

I scrambled up the saddle, and used the muscles in legs to clamp my knees tightly down on his sides. I knew he felt the pressure, because I felt him start to slow down just a little bit, but it wasn't fast enough I realized, seeing that the lake was about 20 feet ahead of us.

I grabbed the cords around his neck, and yanked as fast and as hard as I could. The horse finally began to drastically slow its pace, and I kept my eyes closed, praying that we wouldn't be submerged into the lake.

Luck must have been on my side, because the horse had immediately retracted back onto the dry shores the moment it felt a little bit of water at its feet. I exhaled sharply and glanced at Bella, who was staring at me with her mouth wide open.

"Edward –I'm so"

But I didn't hear the rest of her statement, because at that exact second, the horse I was riding on unexpectedly reared its hind legs, sending me barreling backwards into the water.

The surprise was what got me more than anything, and the second my body hit the lake, I fought to get back to the surface. The water was dark and warm, not a very settling combination.

"Oh my god! Edward!" Bella cried, clambering out of the carriage. "Are you okay! Oh! I'm so so sorry Edward!"

I took a deep breath and shook the water out of my hair, unable to respond just yet. When I regained my composure, I looked back at up her, blinking the excess water out of my eyes.

Instead of the look that I had expected, I noticed her lips twitching at the corners. _Was she laughing!?_

I titled my head to the side, waiting to hear why this was funny. She took note of my unspoken question, and I guess she couldn't hold it in anymore, because laughter, hard and strong, burst forth from her mouth.

"Oh Edward!" she said, in between giggles. "You look so cute. I'm sorry I'm laughing, I really can't help it!"

"Cute?" I repeated, not upset, just confused by her assessment.

She nodded vigorously, and gave me such a lovely look of adoration, that I completely forgot myself for a moment.

"Your hair is going in a million different directions," she started, bending down to get closer to me. "Your shirt is completely green and sopping from the water. There are little cascades dripping down your face…" She placed a single finger on my cheek and caught a droplet on the tip.

I was pretty much frozen in place, watching her move closer to me. And then, well, I must have been crazy, because the next thing I knew I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into the water right beside me.

She screamed piercingly, but her struggle was useless as she splashed loudly into the lake. She emerged a moment later and gulped in a huge breath of air, turning to me with narrowed eyes.

"Edward! Why did you do that!" she asked, standing up on wobbly legs. But she lost her balance at the last moment and fell forward, toppling onto me.

"Aw Bella," I said, trying to keep my head above the water. "You look so cute!"

Her mouth dropped open and she scowled, trying to push herself off of me. But after a moment of getting no where, her eyes met mine, and a small chuckle slipped out of my mouth at her expression.

And then another, and pretty soon we were both in hysterics, splashing around in the lake, no longer caring about what had just happened. We chased each other through the thick muck, and I let her tackle me back into the water just so I could see her confident smile.

"Are you hungry?" Bella suddenly asked, standing up to wring out the bottom of her dress.

I was just about to reply, but my words caught in my throat as I gazed up at her. Her white sundress was clinging to her in all the right places and not only that, it was completely see through.

"Edward?" she said again when I didn't answer.

I tried to open my mouth and behave like the gentleman I was known for, but she looked so unbelievable at that moment that I couldn't tear my eyes away. I mouthed quietly for a second, trying to rip my gaze away from the front of her dress, where I could just see the outline –

"Bella, Edward! Dear God what the hell happened!" a male voice cried out from the shore.

I instinctively pushed myself up and wrapped a possessive arm around Bella's chest, feeling a desperate need to cover her up from prying eyes. I tried not to think about the inside of my arm that was currently pressed against her, but not being able to escape the fact that I could feel her nipples brushing against me.

I knew she felt it too, because she inhaled quietly and leaned into my side.

"Are you guys all right!" the voice said again. "Bella??"

"Oh! It's my manager," she whispered to me. "Um yeah! Sorry, the carriage got a little out of control there for a second!" she called out in direction of the shore.

I saw a slew of cameramen come up behind him, panting from sheer exertion of trying to keep up with us no doubt.

"Edward!" he said, directing his misplaced anger towards me. "How did this happen?"

Completely taken aback by his question, I stammered for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant.

"It wasn't him," said Bella. "I was the one driving."

"You were supposed to let Edward drive!"

My head snapped toward her accusingly. "You were?"

She nodded guiltily. "I get nervous when other people drive!" was her only feeble excuse. I squeezed her shoulders with my arm affectionately.

"It's okay, that was fun." I told her. She gazed back at me with a big smile.

"Well, you can drive on the way back, if you want?" she opted.

"I think that would be the best idea," I replied. We watched as her manager hurried to get the camera crew set up again, and pretty soon, the lens was back on us as we sat to eat our breakfast.

"What no pizza this time?" I joked, watching her pull out waffles, fruit, and bacon.

She laughed and continued piling more food onto our blanket. "I'm actually a pretty good cook," she said. "I made this all myself."

I popped a piece of waffle in my mouth, and was a little surprised at how good it actually tasted. "Wow Bella, this is delicious." I mused thoughtfully.

Once I was done, I quickly cut another piece and held it out to her, watching as she wrapped her mouth around my fork.

"This is better than pizza," I told her, helping myself to more of the food.

She then told me all about how she used to cook for her dad, and that she found comfort in the whole thing and it was actually something she enjoyed doing. I then admitted that I in fact, was not a very good cook at all and hardly ever ventured into the kitchen.

"See, we would make a great match," I said without thinking. I cringed inwardly. I didn't want to put voice to the competition today, and I was pretty sure my comment brought that to the forefront of her mind.

Of course, I was right, and I watched with disdain as a slight pink blush crept up her cheeks.

"We should get going," she said suddenly, standing up and holding her hand out. I took it silently and followed her to the carriage that now had a capable driver sitting in place.

I helped her climb in and we set off into the trees. My mind was lost in thought as the green of the forest passed by us on each side. I wondered where we were headed.

"I can't wait until we get there," Bella said, squeezing my hand softly.

"Are you going to tell me where 'there' is?" I said jokingly, knowing she wouldn't.

"It's a surprise," she smiled and turned back to the front, watching the trees just as I was.

In the next five minutes, I took note that the trees were beginning to thin, so we must have been close to our destination. Sure enough, Bella was almost bouncing in her seat with anticipation. I grinned at her enthusiasm, she was adorable.

I was just about to tell her as much, but we turned a sharp corner, and the view before us made my mouth drop open.

_It couldn't be? It was impossible?_

"It's not exactly the same of course," whispered Bella. I felt her eyes on my face. "But a few of the rides are the same! And some of the games are almost exact replicas."

I guess at my silence, she felt the need to keep talking.

"The whole thing just happened really. I mean, I thought it would be fun. And the producers thought it was a wonderful idea, and worked really hard the past 3 days to set everything in motion."

I turned to her, completely awe-struck that she would do something like this. In the distance, I heard the laughter and happiness of the local children and their families.

"Say something." She squeaked nervously. At her obvious worry, I jerked into action and put both of my hands on her face.

"Bella…I…I can't believe this," I stuttered. "You remembered?" I asked, shock lacing my tone.

She smiled gently and nodded. "Of course. I mean I know it's not the real thing but…"

"Bella, it's… perfect" I interrupted, staring back at the scene in front of me. "Honestly, I cannot believe this."

I looked up in shock at the small blinking 'Disney World' sign. I saw a ferris wheel, a small boat ride, a small wooden roller coaster, and a whole slew of different games. Of course everything was labeled with a big smiling mouse, colorful and enticing for people of all ages. I watched as the local kids were beside themselves with glee, running around blissfully and taking in everything that they could. Of course, everything was on a much smaller scale, and I knew that they used this stuff for their annual carnivals and festivals. But the fact that she did this for me was staggering, and made that intense feeling flare up in my chest once again.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked, climbing out of the carriage and pulling me into the crowd. "What will it be?" she asked, "Games or rides first?"

With a big smile glued to my face, I shook my head slowly. "You choose," I managed to get out.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Games it is then." She practically dragged me over to the closest game and luckily we were first in line.

"Get a ring around the bowl! Win a Goldfish!" screamed out the man behind the counter, eyeing Bella and I with a knowing smile. Bella jumped up and down excitedly.

"Let's play!" she said, turning to me with bright eyes. "And everything is already paid for, we can basically do whatever we want!" she added.

I couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm. "Well let's win ourselves a fish shall we?"

We stepped up to the front of the booth and the guy handed us each three rings each. I watched as Bella unsuccessfully threw her three rings in quick succession, all of them missing the mark.

She turned to me sheepishly. "I think I got a little ahead of myself."

I gave her an amused expression and handed her two of my rings. "Take another shot, concentrate this time." I told her.

She bit her lip, and tossed out the first ring, missing yet again. And unfortunately the second ring also ended up on the ground, no where near the intended target. I tried to hold in my laughter at her angry expression.

"Here, let's do this one together," I told her, holding out my hand with the last ring.

She smiled and grasped onto me, and I made sure that I was doing most of the throwing as I lightly flicked my wrist, allowing it to effortlessly spin onto a bowl.

Bella squealed happily and grabbed me into a hug.

"You're good luck, what can I say," I said.

She gave me a look that said she didn't quite believe me, and reached over to the bowl that we had wrangled.

"He's all yours," the gamekeeper told us, eyeing the fishbowl.

I leaned down to examine it for myself, and my face scrunched up in mild amusement.

"Not very cute is he," I couldn't help but say. The fish was an albino white color, with little beady black eyes. It looked evil in my opinion.

"How can you say that?" Bella smirked, holding the fishbowl protectively against her chest. "I think he's adorable. What should we name him?" She gazed upon her new pet fondly.

"How about Mickey?" I suggested. "I mean, we did win him in Disney World after all."

Bella smiled and nodded. "Perfect." Once we left the booth, Bella handed her new fish over to one of the producers for safe keeping so we could play more games.

We ended up at a pretty conventional game next, one where you had to knock down the milk cans in order to win a large stuffed animal. I flexed my arms jokingly as I walked up to the booth.

"What would you like lil' lady?" I said in a deep southern accent as I gestured to all the stuffed animals. Bella laughed and put her hands on her hips.

"I think I might like that big one right there," she answered, putting on a great imitation herself. We both broke into laughter as the gamekeeper looked on as if we were mental.

So immersed in each other, I hardly noticed the young college boy who stepped up right beside us. He threw money at the gamekeeper before we could even protest that we were first and grabbed the ball. He stood back, aimed for a moment, then launched it powerfully, effectively knocking over 9 out of 12 cans. He smirked proudly and grinned when the gamekeeper handed him a medium sized stuffed Daisy Duck.

To my utter annoyance, he turned to Bella and held it out to her. She took it hesitantly.

"For you," he said, completely ignoring the fact that I was standing right beside her. "And I can't wait to watch your show." His eyes lingered on her for a bit too long and I cleared my throat purposefully, stepping in front of Bella to glare at him.

"May we help you?" I asked, in a voice that didn't hide any of my impatience. I didn't wait for him to answer, I just glowered at him and grabbed Bella's waist, pulling her beside me as I snatched the ball off the table.

I might be a gentleman, and I'll even admit that my jealously gets a little out of control. But there was no way I was letting this child show me up on my date with Bella.

I stood back about three feet away from the table, wound my arm back, and launched the ball as hard as I could, then watched happily as the entire castle of milk cans tumbled off the stool.

"What a big _strong_ man,"Bella said with her fake accent and threw her arms around my neck. For a second I thought she was going to kiss me, but the gamekeeper ended up shoving an overly large stuffed Minnie mouse in between us. Bella grabbed it and held it to her chest, just as she did with the fish.

The young college boy scowled and walked away, but we didn't notice, for the moment we were trapped in was immeasurable as we looked into each other's eyes.

When we finally released each other, and Bella went to give the stuffed animals to the producers, I decided that I was in a great mood. This date, although very random, was going just as I had hoped. I felt closer to Bella than ever, and with the passionate feelings almost exploding out of my chest, I didn't think that there was any way Bella wouldn't notice.

And my good mood continued throughout the entire day. We spent hours upon hours going through every game, and every ride that the small Disney world had to offer. We rode the rollercoaster about eight times, each one making a different face for the camera. We rode in the small boat, talking about our favorite memories from high school, me shyly admitting that I had gotten homecoming king, and her blushing as she told me she got 'Most accident proned.'

And now, hours later, just as the sun was setting, I found myself at the top of the Ferris wheel, with Bella perched on my lap, gazing seriously into my eyes. We had spent so much time together, that our hearts felt lain on the table, and I knew that this would be the most important conversation that we would ever have.

"Why didn't you want to come?" she asked, her eyes locked with mine. "And what's different now?"

I waited a moment, just so she would know I was honest when I told her. "Everything's different Bella. _I'm _different. Everything has changed since the moment I made the video tape. I admit that I was not sure about coming, I mean of course I thought you were gorgeous when I saw you, but I didn't know the person you were. But now that I do…Bella…I can't imagine being without you. Agreeing to make that tape was the best thing I've ever done."

Her face fell into a gentle smile and she leaned her forehead against my own.

"Do you mean that Edward?" she whispered against my lips.

I nodded silently, brushing my eyelids against her cheek. I pulled her hand up to my heart and let out a big breath.

"I mean that with everything inside of me Bella. There is something I feel when I see you. It makes my entire chest swell up, almost painfully," I admitted. "And I am so overwhelmed with the emotions coursing through me, that I can't even see straight."

She raised both hands to my cheeks and rested her thumbs on my lips silently.

"So this is me," I said, putting my hands over hers and nuzzling into her palms. "This is all of me, and I'm putting myself completely out there…for you. I want you Bella. Make the decision you feel is right, but in truth, I couldn't stand it if you picked him. I want to be yours, Isabella."

My eyes betrayed me as a single tear slipped over my eyelid and slowly ran down my cheek. I closed my eyes, embarrassed, and never feeling as vulnerable as I did in this exact moment. I had let every barrier down within me, and the sheer power of it was consuming my entire body, to the point where I was no longer in control.

She leaned down and placed her soft lips on my cheek, kissing away the evidence of my helplessness. And I knew that she knew. To the very bottom of my hidden soul, I knew she could feel how much I needed her.

It was in the air, almost as if it could be touched.

I knew that she could feel how much I craved for her. And I opened my eyes, willing them to meet hers, and the emotion I saw gleaming back at me was indescribable.

**Bella's POV**

I woke up when the carriage came to a halt. I was so tired, everything just flashed in images.

I opened my sleepy eyes and gazed up at Edward.

I was resting on his lap.

I must have fallen asleep on the ride home.

I watched as he gently lifted me out of the carriage and set me on my feet.

He gave me a quick kiss on my lips and bid me farewell.

Before he went in, I saw him bend down and give a small girl holding flowers the Daisy Duck stuffed animal.

He turned the corner, and I broke apart, with only thoughts of him keeping me together.

**Author's Note: Yay! Edward's Date! LOL, But you know what that means. Jacob's date is next! Do you think he could top Edward's? And I just want to say that your reviews and private messages have me cracking up! – Between getting threatened with a virtual slap, someone else running to London to strangle me, and then someone promising to hang me from a building I think, If I didn't pick Edward. I must say I have some creative readers! Haha?!**

**But I guess I have to remind you, it's Bella that makes all the decisions, not me ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – MUST READ**

_Okay so you all knew this was coming. This chapter is Jacob's date! Two things to say, number two will be at the end. _

_**The **__**answer**__** to who wins is in this chapter! I have given a **__**VERY**__** subtle clue, that I am not expecting a lot of you to find. It is the one difference between the two dates, and it is not anything obvious at all. Special prize for anyone who finds it! (Kat is not allowed to guess because she will probably know right away because she already knows.) LOL**_

**Bella's POV**

I sat on the beach, just as I had the following morning before Edward's date. I closed my eyes against the rising sun, forcing all thoughts of Edward out of my mind, because today was about Jacob. It was Jacob's turn and he deserved nothing but my full attentions.

However- against my better judgement- I did allow myself a moment to go over the events of yesterday. After all, in my eyes the date had been nearly perfect.

Edward was so…

I smiled.

But before my thoughts could completely get off track, I heard my manager calling out from by the poolside.

"Bella!" He waved me over.

I stood up, and the second I was in hearing distance he started towards me.

"It's time to go; we've got to get this show on the road. - no pun intended." He joked, putting a fatherly arm around my shoulder.

I nodded and tried not to outwardly grimace when I saw the cameramen headed right for me. That was one thing I certainly would NOT miss when this was over. Although I had become friends with some of them, when they weren't filming of course, the camera crew flanking my every movement was _extremely_ tiresome. I found myself on more than one occasion pleading with them that they wouldn't put some of my more embarrassing moments on television.

"Should I go wake Jacob?" I asked politely.

"He'll be down in a moment," he responded. "He was up pretty early this morning."

I smiled again, finally feeling the vestiges of excitement creep into my system. Jacob was nothing if not extremely charming. He was such an easy person to talk to, and it came natural for us the second we met. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and although he had a jealousy streak a mile long, I had to admit to myself that it was somewhat endearing. And not only that, but Jacob was…

_So Hott._

I watched as he made his way out onto the sand. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was almost glistening. His dark skin set off the light from the sun beautifully and when his eyes caught mine, his bright smile set off my own.

"Bella," he said, sweeping me into a hug. I held onto his neck tightly and laughed when he spun me around in a wide circle.

Jacob clearly had no sense of physical space.

When he finally set me down, and the cameras were in place, I took his hand and dragged him to the front of the hotel. I could just imagine how we looked, a small girl like me pulling a 6'4 grown man.

"So where are we going?" he asked conversationally.

"It's a surprise," I retorted, looking back over my shoulder and winking at him. He chuckled.

"Well then, take me anywhere you please, I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever you have chosen for the day," he told me with nothing but excitement in his voice.

I felt my stomach flutter.

As we reached the front of the hotel, I immediately saw the limo that had been prepared for us. Jacob whistled loudly when he saw it.

"That for us?" he asked.

"Yup." I grinned.

"Wow, my curiosity just increased ten fold," he said cheekily, grabbing onto my waist and leading me over to the already open door. We scrambled inside and the door shut behind us.

"This is great," he said, rubbing his hand over the leather of the seat. "I have to admit I've never ridden in one of these before."

"I have, but only for prom," I told him, reaching over to the fridge and pulling out some more baked goods, courtesy of Liz.

"I didn't, even for prom," he admitted. "Things down at the reservation are too low key for something like this."

Even though he was clearly enjoying himself, I didn't detect a hint of sadness in his voice at the declaration. I could tell he truly loved his family and where he came from.

"On your tape," I started. "The beach, it was unbelievable."

"I know," Jacob said knowingly. "There is really no place like it. I would really love to take you there some time." He turned to me and his eyes bore into mine.

I remained silent, but nodded with a smile. I had done the same with Edward yesterday when he had made similar comments.

I didn't want to make any promises that I couldn't keep.

Throughout the entire car ride to our secret destination, I don't think that I was able to catch my breath once. Jacob had me in hysterics the entire time. When we finally arrived and emerged from the limo, my face was bright red, and I was still giggling over the last thing that he had said to me.

We stumbled out, hands intertwined, and I couldn't help but smile at the look on Jacob's face.

"Why are we here?" he asked. I noticed the slight twinge of nervousness in his voice, all traces of his good mood gone.

"Well," I began. "I think that the first time around, you really didn't have a good time, did you?"

"Agreed," he gulped, looking carefully at his surroundings.

"So," I said. "I've arranged for a private plane ride, for just me and you. The scenery is gorgeous around here, and I can promise that no one is going to throw up." I added, punching him playfully.

At my words, he visibly brightened and clasped my hand tightly in his.

"Wow," he said, letting out a huge breath. "Bella that's perfect." He picked me up again and wrapped me in one of his infamous hugs. Between the stifling sun and Jacob's arms around me, I couldn't help but feel…warm.

We were immediately led to a small plane about a quarter of a mile away from the platform. As we got closer, the wind from the propellers had my hair flying in every direction, and Jacob and I laughed loudly as we tried to keep it away from my face. Realizing that it was a downhill battle, I simply let it blow wherever it wanted, enjoying the freedom of it all.

Jacob helped me up into the cockpit, and we settled next to each other with large headphones on our ears to block out the deafening sound. He smiled a dramatically big smile, lifted his large hand up for a high five, and I wound my hand back dramatically and then met his. The pilot looked at our performance somewhat skeptically, but then informed us that we would be taking off so we needed to buckle our seatbelts.

I realized that I was having an amazing time with Jacob. Everything came so natural with him, more so than any of the other contestants. I entwined my hands with his as the plane took off into the air, and we both leaned to gaze out of the window. I looked closely and could just make out our large beachfront hotel. I couldn't help but think of Edward as I stared down at the large white building.

"Bella, this is so beautiful," said Jacob. I turned to him and grinned, resting my head on his large shoulder. When we reached about 5,000 ft, the plane leveled off and we were able to take off our seatbelts. Jacob sat by the window, I on his lap, and stared in awe at the loveliness that was this country.

"There is so much beauty," I said softly. "It's overwhelming."

He nodded against my shoulder blade. I stared longingly at the lush forest and purple mountains as we passed them. It was odd to see the snow on the tops, despite how hot it was on the ground. Jacob explained to me so many different things about nature that I had never known. It really made me realize how intelligent he really was, and how in tune he was with things around him.

We stayed in the plane for over two hours when the pilot informed us that it was almost time to touch down.

I squealed loudly and jumped off Jacob's lap. I had forgotten something.

I reached behind the seat and pulled out a red cooler.

"Please tell me that's what I think it is," said Jacob, rubbing his hungry tummy.

I pulled off the lid to reveal a gourmet lunch of hotdogs and potato chips.

Once Jacob saw what I had packed, he let out a huge belly laugh and chucked me on the chin adoringly. Obviously he had remembered the conversation with Mike's mother, and how he made the comment that he wouldn't mind such a meal.

"This just keeps getting better and better," he said seriously with a warm smile. I smiled back and handed him a ball park hotdog. During the rest of flight, we joked about Mike's mother, talked about Billy, and ate more than our fair share of food.

The plane finally landed and we jumped out, grateful for a chance to stretch our legs.

"So," said Jacob, as we walked away from the plane. "What's next?"

I turned to his eager face and laughed but didn't answer.

"More secrets?" he asked.

"More secrets." I agreed.

We hopped back in the limo and headed to our next destination, a small private beach about two miles away from the airport. Although small, it was very beautiful, and Jacob and I were going to be the only ones there that day. Jacob was absolutely delighted at this fact and he dragged me down to the shore to dip our feet into the water.

The sun was shining brightly; the sand was hot against my bare feet, and the water warm enough to dunk my entire body. Even though I had a beach at my disposal back at the hotel, there was really nothing like having one to yourself. It made me appreciate the beauty of it so much more, without the distraction of tourists and buildings.

As the sun set, Jacob and I settled under a large tree and opened a bottle of champagne.

"To the beauty of nature," I said, raising my glass.

"I'll drink to that," said Jacob with a curt nod, and we both took a large sip.

I kept my hand wrapped tightly around the glass and sunk against the tree trunk, sighing deeply.

"Bella," said Jacob softly.

I turned to him and raised my eyebrows with a smile.

"Thank you."

_Thank you?_ "For what?" I inquired curiously.

"For this," he said, gesturing around him. "For today, for yesterday, for the whole time I've been here. For letting me get to know you, for giving me your time…for giving me… this chance."

I bit my lip. "You wouldn't be here unless I wanted you here, and I do…" I trailed off and tried to comfort him, because he looked a little hysterical.

"Yes but…agh," he stood up and began pacing in front of me. "God Bella…I just… I know how you feel about Edward; I can see it" he broke off and put his head in his hands for a moment. "But Bella, are you seeing what you have with me too? Do you feel how happy I am when I'm with you?"

He knelt down in front of me and put my hand over his heart. I could feel the rhythmic beating under my palms.

"I see what I have with you," I nodded. "And I know I have to make a choice."

"Then let that choice be me," he said seriously, staring at me with tortured eyes "_I_ want you, Bella. _I_ need you."

I closed my eyes against the sudden rush of emotion and all I could do was curl up into his embrace. We stayed that way for several moments until I finally extracted myself to look into his eyes.

"You're wonderful Jacob." I said, with all the sincerity I could muster.

He smiled and we gazed at each other for a moment before he yanked me up and pulled me toward the shore.

"One more swim before we go back." Jacob said lightly.

And I followed him.

_**An Hour Later.**_

I said goodbye to Jacob, and watched him head back into the hotel. He had given me a chaste kiss- his a little more lingering than Edward's had been-but that was to be expected.

I didn't move until he was out of sight, and then I immediately turned around and headed onto the sand. It was cool beneath my feet, and I needed a moment to sort out my thoughts before I went back up to my room.

But I was kidding myself…

Because I already knew.

This whole time, I was certain that the final decision was going to be difficult. I thought I would agonize over it for hours, so split between the two of them that I wouldn't know which end was up.

But as I gazed out onto the water, sparkling almost white from the moonlight…

I knew.

Of course I was going to give it more thought, and of course I was going to call Alice and Rosalie and get their opinions…

But my mind was made up. It wasn't that one of them just barely beat out the other. It was 100 clear to me who I had to choose.

But even though I knew, it still made my heart sink to my stomach with despair.

_I was going to hurt him_, I thought sadly, thinking of the one who I _couldn't_ pick. There was no way to avoid it. I should have known from the beginning that this was what had to happen, but I didn't know that it would hurt so much. It cut me, and it caused me physical pain to do it, but in the end…there was no avoiding it.

I dug my toe into the sand for a moment, my lip set into a dry pout.

"HEY BELLA!!" I heard two voices shout into the night air.

I whirled around immediately, almost tripping over myself trying to get up. I searched frantically for the two voices that had just belted out my name.

And I saw them.

So different…but both so beautiful in their own way.

Edward and Jacob stood on their balcony, wearing nothing but shorts. I couldn't help but notice the contrast between them. Jacob's dark skin clashed with Edward's white. They were waving at me, and I could distantly tell that they were smiling.

But their body language spoke volumes.

They were separated from each other, almost on opposite ends of the balcony. Their shoulders were slumped with worry, but their bodies were tense with energy.

I waved back, and all I could do was stare at _him_.

I was going to break _his_ heart.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_So, Jacob's date? Haha. Anyways, I know __most__ of you hate Jacob to the point of absolute __**absurdity, **__but I would like to say that I myself am __**not**__ an avid Jacob death terrorist. I mean I don't LOVE him like Stephanie Meyer does, but c'mon. I mean, I am completely taken with Edward just like the rest of you, and I know it's easy to hate Jacob because of what happened in the books, but if you are going to blame him, then you might as well blame Bella! If not more so! He was a young boy who fell in love with a girl, and did everything he could to get her, and in the end, he gets his heart completely broken. (If you have ever had a broken heart, maybe that's the only way you can sympathize.) So give him the benefit of the doubt huh? Lol. He didn't get her in the end, but you don't have to wish death and torture on him. Everyone knows Bella and Edward are meant to be together. (__**In regards to the book…or perhaps this fic too? Or perhaps not?... haha)**__. Anyways, I think everyone can be a little more understanding if not mature when it comes to Jacob. Insert your absolute best guy friend in his position, and then put yourself in his shoes. Okay rant over…lol_

_**Anyways, anyone find the clue! Review!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Bella's****POV**

_7:00 p.m the following day._

"BELLA!" said a loud voice on the other end of the receiver. "GOD, where have you been, I have been trying to call you ALL day!"

"Sorry Alice," I said sheepishly, holding the phone away from my ear. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, I've been distracted."

"I'll say," she answered. "Hold on, I'm going to put you on speaker phone."

I smiled slightly, listening to the fumbling on the other end.

"Hey Bella!" said a loud chorus of greetings. I grinned happily, flopping down onto my bed. I really missed my friends and it was wonderful to hear all of their voices.

"We were getting worried," I heard Jasper say honestly. "For a moment there we thought we were going to find out who you chose by having to watch the show!"

"Ha-Ha," I laughed sarcastically. "And I _am_ sorry, I just wanted to get all my thoughts together for tonight. I want to let him down in the nicest way possible." I sighed wearily, once again wishing that I wasn't in this position.

"And who are we letting down?" inquired Emmett casually.

I bit my lip. "Before I tell you, I want to hear your opinions."

"Well," spoke up Jasper first. "Emmett and I have already decided that either would be a good choice. They were our top two from the beginning you know."

"Yeah," I said softly. "So no preferences from you two?"

Emmett cleared his throat. "Well I mean, we know who _WE_ like better, like who I would choose as a friend. But that doesn't matter because this is about you. And I think both of them can make you happy, so no Bella, no preferences."

The two girls had remained quiet during the entire exchange. Somehow I knew they were going to be a little more opinionated.

The line was silent for a moment, until Alice and Rosalie suddenly began shouting at the same time.

"YOU HAVE TO PICK EDWARD!"

"JACOB IS THE OBVIOUS CHOICE!"

"Whoa, whoa," I chuckled, "Slow down a moment, one at a time please."

"Bella!" whined Alice. "I really think you should pick Edward! I know it's up to you, but I've seen you two together, and I've seen how happy he makes you!"

"So does Jacob!" interrupted Rosalie. "Bella, I really think you should pick him. He is fiercely loyal, and look how good he treated his ex girlfriend!"

"Exes don't matter!" put in Alice.

"Says the girl who wants Edward to win! Or have you forgotten Tanya already?" she snapped.

"Edward won that snake contest!"

"Jacob won the testicle eating contest!"

"Oh Bella!" said Alice in a light tone. "Did you hear that? Jacob won the testicle eating contest! Exactly the thing you want in a man, right?!"

"He did his best," hissed Rosalie. "He would have done anything to win that first date with her."

I could almost see Alice crossing her arms, ready to strike.

"Edward was the fastest runner!"

"Wait wait," said Emmett's voice, interrupting their banter. "That's not true, Jacob and Edward were tied when we took them all out that morning."

"This isn't about the contests!" I suddenly shouted, with amusement lacing my tone. "Honestly, those never made my decisions for me. They were fun, yes, and will make great television, but I never eliminated anyone because they lost at those silly games."

"Can you tell us Bella?" said Jasper. "Who are you picking tonight?"

I bit my lip shyly, felt a smile creep across my face, and told them.

**Edward's POV**

Despite the fact that my stomach was in absolute knots, I had a very healthy appetite. I looked at the clock on my bedside table, as I had been doing for the entire day, noting that it was 7:00.

_5 more hours._ I thought to myself, shoveling a large spoonful of food into my mouth. But I couldn't taste anything. I was running every single moment of our last day together through my head.

_Did I say the wrong thing?_

_Did I say the right thing?_

_Was she going to choose me?_

_How upset will I be if she doesn't?_

Very upset. I swallowed my food with a big gulp.

I looked across the room at Jacob, who just like me, was piling massive amounts of food into his mouth. He was staring resolutely at a spot on the wall, his eyes glazed over in thought. We hadn't spoken to each other all day. Which was weird, because last night I couldn't get him to shut up about his date with Bella.

I told him I didn't want to hear about it, but that was a lie because in reality I was insanely interested. I hung onto his every word, searching for any clue that she was craving his company more.

He then asked about my date, so I told him. But I left out a lot of details, wanting to keep those between Bella and myself.

We both had to admit that Bella had taken us on some spectacular dates. I couldn't wait to take her on a real date, a special one that I would plan. But I swallowed a groan realizing that I may never ever get that chance, because tonight…she might not pick me.

"I can't stand this silence!" Jacob suddenly shouted. He got off his bed and began pacing the floor. His large legs were pounding so hard, it seemed the walls were slightly shaking. Obviously I wasn't the only nervous one.

"What should we do for the next five hours?" I asked, getting up and sitting at the foot of my bed, watching him pace.

"I don't know," he answered. "But I say we think of something. I'm going to drive myself crazy if I don't take my mind off her decision."

I nodded.

"I mean, I knew I would stay every other elimination, you know?" he said, shooting me a quick glance. "Just like I knew you would stay too."

"You could have told me that," I said. "I remember a few where I was pretty nervous."

"Oh please," said Jacob. "You know you would have been shocked if she had sent you home."

I contemplated that for a moment and realized he was right. I was definitely very anxious for a lot of the eliminations, but I couldn't deny that if she had decided to let me go, I would have left feeling surprised. Not because I expected her to pick me, but because the connection we had was too strong.

"Exactly," said Jacob, taking in my expression. "I just didn't think I would be this nervous." He ran a hand through his dark hair and turned to gaze at me.

"I'm nervous too!" I said back to him. "You're not the only one putting yourself on the line here."

"I wish," Jacob snorted.

I sighed and shook my head.

_7:06_, the clock read.

"What _are_ we going to do till midnight," I said out loud. "There's no point in getting dressed now."

"Right," said Jacob, who had stopped his pacing and sunk into a chair by the window.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, making Jacob and I practically jump out of our skin. It was crazy how tense we both were.

"Come in!" I called.

The door opened at once and Bella's manager strode in, dressed in an immaculate business suit. We had spent the better part of the afternoon with him, getting us fitted for the tuxedos that we would be wearing tonight.

"How you feeling boys?" he said without looking up, but continuing to scribble hasty notes down onto a clipboard. Jacob threw him a rude hand gesture from across the room.

"We feel great," I said, unable to keep the small bit of sarcasm out of my voice. How did he expect us to feel? One of us was just five hours away from losing Bella forever. My heart jumped as those words ran through my mind, and I willed myself to never think them again.

"So," he said, finally making eye contact. "Tonight's the night!" His eyes were bright with enthusiasm, and he made it sound as if he was telling us a secret for the first time.

"It is?" said Jacob loudly. "Wow, we had totally forgotten. Imagine that Edward."

The manager cleared his throat and threw a harsh look in his direction.

"Yes well, you guys need to change into some comfortable clothes. You better get a move on. The cove is about 6 miles away from here, as Bella told you at the last elimination."

"Wait a minute. Rewind!" called Jacob, at the same time that I was just about to open my mouth. "Why on earth would we need to leave now? I thought the ceremony was at midnight."

"It is," said Bella's manager. "So since you guys are walking there, you should get started right away"

"Walking there?" I repeated, looking at Jacob incredulously. "No one said anything about us having to walk there."

"I am saying something right now," he said with a smile. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded up map. "The cove where you're supposed to be is circled in red, and your starting point-this hotel-is circled in black."

Jacob and I were stunned into silence.

"I wouldn't go trudging around in those tuxes though. Someone is going to bring you up a light backpack to keep them in while you're walking. You can change when you get there. Good luck!" he called, as he spun on his heel and left the room.

"Well, fuck." Murmured Jacob, looking intently down at the map. He raised his eyes to meet mine and I shrugged.

Someone knocked on the door and handed us our backpacks, and two cameramen came in shortly after and told us they would be coming along, and that we were leaving in ten minutes.

Jacob and I changed quietly, both of us throwing on shorts and t-shirt. I bent down to tie my sneakers, grabbed my tuxedo and then put it carefully into the backpack.

Backpacks in place, we headed down into the main lobby to wait. I felt like I was embarking on some major expedition, and despite the circumstances, it was almost amusing.

"At least this will take our minds off things for a while," I whispered to Jacob, who nodded in agreeance.

The camera crew came down moments later, but I noticed they were keeping their distance from us. They were still filming of course, but they weren't close enough to start a friendly conversation.

To my delight, we ended up heading into the forest that Bella and I had went to the other day. I attempted, but failed miserably trying to keep the smile off my face.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Jacob, looking at me suspiciously.

"Nothing," I answered. But I knew he knew I was lying.

After about five minutes of silence, Jacob suddenly spoke up.

"You think you're going to win, don't you." He said it firmly, but with a large touch of sadness. He wasn't accusing me of being arrogant, just trying to find out what I was thinking.

"I don't know what's going to happen," I said truthfully, as I sidestepped a huge rotting log. As we got deeper into the forest, the scene around us only became more beautiful. The walk had been completely flat so far, but a lot of trees and stray brambles were starting to clutter the path. "Bella is the one making the decision."

He sighed and lifted up a branch so I could crawl under it.

"If you lose," he asked. "Will you regret coming here?"

"No," I said instantly. "The emotions I felt here, I didn't even know I was capable of. I've felt more alive during the past two weeks than I have in a long time. I couldn't ever regret spending time with her."

I shot a look at Jacob to see if he would make fun of me for being so honest. But after taking one look at his face, I knew he wasn't going to.

"I know exactly what you mean," he finally said. "Bella…she's…" he shook his head as he trailed off and looked in the opposite direction. This whole display was slightly unnerving to me because I had never seen Jacob this vulnerable before.

"I like you Edward," he said, turning back around. "You're a good guy. And if I didn't want Bella so bad, I would wish you good luck."

I smirked. "So does that mean you're wishing me bad luck?"

"Yes," he said, his smarmy attitude finally resurfacing. "Bad luck, Edward."

"Bad luck to you, too."

"Break a leg," he answered.

"Break your jaw," I responded.

"I hope you lose."

"I hope I win."

We looked at each other and started laughing, but kept up a steady pace on the trail. Not for nothing, Jacob was a funny guy and I was glad to have met him. I told him so.

"What are you getting mushy on me over there?" he said, but clapped a hand on my shoulder all the same.

We traveled on, sometimes commenting on our surroundings, and other times just taking in the peace and quiet of the forest. Every so often, we would stop and consult the map, just to make sure we were in fact headed in the right direction. As we neared closer to our destination, the friendly chatter stopped, and both became lost in our own thoughts.

This was it, I thought. I looked down at my wristwatch.

_11:00_.

Only one hour, and my life would be altered forever. I could only hope that it was in the way I wished. I was sweaty, Jacob was sweaty, and we were tired. It was only our nerves that kept us moving along.

Ten minutes later, we stepped out from a particularly large cluster of tall bushes, and into the cove. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the gorgeous setting.

A waterfall, sending down wave after wave of clear blue water was glistening off to the right. The pond was so clear that you could see the bottom, which was covered in multi colored rocks. The foliage growing around it was so wild and free and the occasional exotic flower was sprinkled throughout. The air was heavy, and the moon hung close in the sky, illuminating the entire setting.

I took another step, feeling completely inadequate.

"Wow," Jacob breathed. "Unbelievable, huh."

My silence spoke volumes.

Suddenly the two cameramen came up behind us and informed us to change into our tuxedos and that Bella would be arriving soon. I went off slightly to the side to change. As I was pulling up my pants, I looked and saw a small but perfectly rounded hill right next to the pond. And I knew that was where she was going to be standing.

I couldn't wait to see her.

I threw my shorts and t-shirt into my backpack and kicked it off to the side. Jacob did the same, and we both turned and gave each other an intense glare.

"Well don't you look _Handsome_,"he said smugly, crossing his arms across his broad chest. He was wearing all black, except for his vest which was a dark red.

"Thanks, same to you…mutt." I retorted. I looked down at my own white suit, that had the same red accents as Jacob's.

"What time is it?" he asked, and I told him that it was 11:45.

We both looked over to see the two cameramen, setting up their cameras across from each other, one for Jacob, and one for me.

"I wonder if they know," I mused. "If they get to film the winner of the loser."

But that was the last comment that was spoken out loud, because we were told to get in place after that.

I stood there, my hands clasped behind my back and my heart utterly vibrating in my chest. I was trying to take deep breaths and slow it down, but it was impossible. Although no one was speaking, the sounds of night were anything but silent, and I tried to concentrate on that instead of my own thoughts.

Jacob however, was shifting from one foot to the other, muttering something under his breath and looking at me through the corner of his eye.

The tension in the air was so thick; I felt like I could reach out and grab it. Time was passing so slowly that I began to wonder if my clock was set right, but just as I was about to check for the umpteenth time, we heard a rustling by the bushes.

Both of necks snapped towards the sound, and we both drew breath as Bella appeared in front of us.

I felt my eyelids droop for a second, so stunned I was at how beautiful she looked. I had to almost shake my head to regain my wits, because that aching painful emotion came back, the one I always had when I would see her. She wore a red dress that clung to her sweetly, and her hair was in a clip, her long brown locks flowing wildly around her and over her shoulder.

She seemed to fit right into this setting, as if she was some goddess that lived in this very cove. Her face was tinged a gentle pink and she was worrying her small hands as she looked at each of us in turn.

She walked slowly towards the small hill, her head down.

We watched with bated breath as she finally looked up.

"Welcome," she said softly, not looking directly at either of us. "To the last elimination ceremony."

**HAHA! I know, bad cliffy, but you won't have to wait very long! ;) And about the clue, I will address that next chapter! -Dun, Dun, Dun. Rally up and take your sides everyone! And stand behind your team!**

**Ps. – I wrote a very silly and random little one shot called 'That Was My Siblings,' so go check it out! (Doesn't have to do with this story).**


	17. Chapter 17

**This is it! The winner will be announced in this chapter. Please restrain yourself from cheating and scrolling down just to see who it is! It will be better if you don't!**

**Oh yeah, and Breaking Dawn Release Date Announced at midnight tonight at POV**

"…_to the last elimination ceremony."_

"…_to the last elimination ceremony."_

Her opening words were an echo in my head. It was like I could see her lips moving, but the sounds were just bouncing around inside my mind. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to force myself to concentrate on what she was saying.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for her. She looked so nervous, and so distraught standing up there. And for the first time since this competition began, I realized that this must be very hard on her too. Sending people home, hurting their feelings, and making these decisions probably took a whole lot of inner strength.

_It made me want her even more. _

I saw Jacob out of the corner of my eye, standing as still as a board and watching Bella with severe eyes. But his stance matched mine: stiff, anxious, hard, and with an outer edge of vulnerability. I snapped my eyes back to Bella as she began to speak once more.

"I want to thank both of you, for giving me the opportunity to get to know you," she said in a shaky tone, dividing her gaze evenly between us. "You both are incredible men, and there are so many girls that are going to see this, and wish that they were in my position."

Jacob and I didn't respond, but stood our ground and watched her.

"You see, I didn't think that I would find anyone on this show that I would care for so deeply. I expected to have a little fun, most likely embarrass myself in the process, and leave with nothing more than memories of a silly experience."

Once again, we met her with silence.

"But…I was wrong," she whispered, looking down. "Not only was I wrong, but I was wrong two times over. Because both of you…in your own ways…are very important to me, and have carved your own place in my heart."

At this, I gave her a curt nod. I didn't think that I could bare her speech any longer. I felt like running away, and racing towards her at the same time and the feeling was so unsettling-one I definitely wasn't used to.

"The question I asked myself," she said, in a more confident tone. "Is exactly what place both of you have, and I want to be honest and tell you that the answer came to me fairly quickly."

She looked up at both of us with anguished eyes, and I watched her mouth trying to form the words that she was about to say.

"Jacob," she said, and I felt my throat collapse into my stomach.

It only became worse as I saw a beautiful smile wash across her face. I tried to quell the dull ache that had begun resonating into my system.

"You have been…nothing short of amazing," she said, looking directly at him, "I think we both know how well we get along, and how natural our personalities connect with one anothers."

It was Jacob's turn to nod stiffly.

"And I can't deny my feelings for you, because you make me feel so comfortable…and…_warm_, and I can just sense how much you care for me, how much you would look out for me…and my heart."

Her voice became high pitched as she spoke the last word, and she was still staring right at Jacob as she continued.

"You entranced me right off the bat, from the first competition. Your power, your strength, and your aggressiveness to win that date is everything that I look for in a relationship."

I heard Jacob let out a deep breath.

"Edward," she whispered, finally bringing her eyes to mine. I managed a weak smile, but I wasn't even sure if she could see it.

"You…" she said. "I have to admit, I was very skeptical about at first."

I resisted the urge to grimace and run into the woods.

"But…" she continued, the corner of her mouth twitching at the sides. "That quickly faded the moment we spoke to each other."

I blinked twice.

"Because from that moment, the connection we have created, is nothing short of staggering. I can tell you anything, Edward. It's as if I could explain my whole life and you would understand, my past…and my present."

"I can be myself with you," she said with a serious face. "I can be silly, I can be random, and I can eat pizza for breakfast."

I forced myself to let out a single breathless laugh.

"And I can't stand up here and deny my feelings for you either, Edward. Because even just looking at you now, my heart is in an absolute frenzy, and…I'm _nervous_." She looked down at her hands, and it became silent for a moment.

_Nervous?_ _That can't be good._

She sighed deeply, and the silence grew thicker, and I knew she was building up her courage to give the final blow. I decided to do the same, build up my courage that is. If I didn't get picked…

I closed my eyes against the agonizing thought that brought up fear to squeeze my heart.

"I don't have a chain today…" she said. "Because the man…who I choose…has won the real thing."

She laughed quietly and rolled her eyes at the statement, but didn't say anything else for several seconds.

"And I would like it to be said…that I am confident in my decision. Throughout this whole competition, I have gone with my instincts…and it is no different today, because I know, deep into the pit of stomach, that I am picking the right man."

"I know you must be wondering, how it is that I can care about you both, but at the same time be so sure of myself…" she said, each word laced with assurance.

"And I may not be the most beautiful woman in the world, the most eloquent, the most charming, or any of that stuff… but just like every other woman, I know my own heart, and I know what it craves."

_She is all of those things to me…_and I wished that I could tell her so.

"And that's why…" She took a step forward, but to my complete shock, her heel got caught in a tuft of grass, and she flew forward falling on her face.

Jacob and I both made a move to rush over and help her, but she put a hand up– signaling us to stay. And then she was laughing…

"I think I finally earned the show title," she said, in between nervous giggles. "My clumsiness is sort of how I got this show anyway, so of _course_ I pick the opportune moment to embarrass myself," she said a little sarcastically, picking herself up and dusting off her dress.

I was pretty much stunned in place, but automatically, the dark and imposing mood came back, and I remembered why I was here. She walked down to the bottom of the hill, only feet away from us, and began to speak again.

"There is no use putting it off any longer," she whispered softly.

_I could literally hear my own heartbeat. _

"It's time…"

_My eyes stayed locked with hers. _

She let out a deep breath, keeping her eyes closed, and when they opened, they were staring right at Jacob.

_She picked him._

"Jacob…" she began.

_I heard him suck in a breath._

"I'm sorry, but I'm Not Falling For You…I've chosen Edward."

The second immediately following her declaration, no one moved, but I felt the pull of her eyes toward me.

As her words sunk in, my stomach immediately fluttered with exertion so strong that I could barely breathe.

_She picked me?_

_She picked me…_

_She picked me!_

My mouth dropped open, and I felt my lips curl into a shocked smile. I couldn't help but laugh quietly, and my fists involuntarily unclenched…absolutely dying to run to her.

And this time, I didn't hold back. My legs, moving on their own accord, flew to her and I gathered her tightly in my arms.

"Really?" I asked weakly.

She nodded, and I saw her eyes fill with unshed tears, and she buried her face into my neck as we swayed on the spot.

"I'm…_so_ happy," I whispered, my breath on her cheek. "I…can't believe this, Bella…I…I'm so happy."

Her tears fell slowly from her face, and I wiped them away with the pads of my thumb, wondering how on earth I became so lucky.

"Why me?" I had to ask. My words came out light as air, as if we were the only two people in the world meant to hear them.

"You were always on my mind…" she confessed. "Even when I wasn't with you. You make me want to give you everything…all of me. I feel like myself with you, but at the same time, I see a side of myself that I never knew...And I knew you were the only person that could bring that out in me…I need you. I want you, Edward."

"You can have all me," I told her. "You already do."

And with that, I brushed my lips across hers softly, once…twice…and the third time longer, my body bursting with energy at the feel of her soft skin. I moaned eagerly into her mouth, and she responded by pulling me closer.

The painful, all consuming, ache in my chest came flooding back, and being this close to her…with her in my arms, was the more emotion than I thought I could ever feel.

I pulled back and ran my cheek quickly against hers, trying to find a physical outlet for the overwhelming feelings running through my veins.

"Don't be nervous," I told her, referring to her previous statement. "_I've got you_."

She let out a small noise of satisfaction, and I put her back down on her feet. She clutched the back of my shirt tightly in her fists, as I threaded my own fingers through her hair… and we stood there…consumed in each other's passion.

_Until I opened my eyes…and saw Jacob. _

He wasn't facing us, but bent over, taking off his jacket and stuffing it into his backpack.

He wasn't rough, or angry as I thought he would be…all his motions were slow, almost as if he was tired.

But when he turned, his dark eyes were fierce, and his jaw was shaking with uncontrolled emotion. He was biting the inside of his left cheek as he stared at me, throwing his backpack onto his back.

I didn't know what to say, so I just kept my gaze locked with his.

Finally, he turned to Bella, and his whole face fell into relaxed submission, eyes pooling with despair. But it seemed he couldn't even look at her, so he snapped his gaze back to me.

"Jacob…" said Bella feebly, not letting go of her hold on me, but I could see the guilt and depression marring her face. "I'm…"

"Stop," he said blackly, still unable to look at her. "Don't… apologize…_please_"

The cameraman was directly in his face, and I heard him growl and roughly push the lens away. "Get away from me." He snarled, turned on his heel, and stormed sadly but angrily into the trees.

The cameraman followed immediately behind him.

"Are you okay Bella?" I asked when he was gone.

She was staring into the trees where he had disappeared.

Eventually…she nodded.

I pulled her back into my arms, and it took no time to recreate the happiness that had surrounded us before.

_She had picked me. _

_I was hers. _

I felt for Jacob, but I couldn't help but be thrilled with the way things had turned out. And if I didn't get picked, I knew it would have broken me.

So I looked down into her eyes, and knew that my life was just starting. I was going to make her the happiest woman in the world.

I put my arm around her shoulder, and we walked…

My cameraman followed as well, smiling happily, because he was taping the winner.

**GO TEAM EDWARD!**

**First of all, you silly, silly readers. OBVIOUSLY I was going to pick Edward the whole time. Lol. My penname is ****ron or eds****Not ron or eds and sometimes Jacob****! All my stories are about Bella and Edward, the story was only written from their two POV's….Worried for nothing! All of you! Lol**

**Any ideas on what's going to become of Jacob? You have to know I wouldn't leave it like that… with my soft spot for him and everything! Review!**

**P.s – this story is dedicated to edwardNOTjacob, who is basically my literary soulmate.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!! **

**This chapter is dedicated to:**

_**Alice Laughed**__: Who gave me the very brilliant idea on what to do with Jacob!_

_**Sh.C**__ – Because she is hilarious, but scary when she is threatening to flop you with a fish!_

_**Megan.T.Cullen**__ – Who wrote me a magnificent poem!! D Loved it!_

_**Epilogue – 3 months **_later__

**Edward's POV**

_You got me trippin…_

_Stumblin…_

"Oh dear _god_, Edward…shut that off this instant," said a loud voice coming from the kitchen. I snickered to myself and turned the volume on the television up even louder. I sat down on the sofa and sprawled out, making myself comfortable.

"Popcorn smells great Bella!" I shouted, ignoring her previous comment on purpose. I could distantly hear her muttering, catching words like 'torture'...and 'embarrassment.'

I took the blanket off the back of couch to get ready for her when I felt two small hands wrap around my face, and sweet breath whispering in my ear.

"Why don't I just tell you who wins…" she said gently. "That way we don't have to watch it."

I nuzzled into her hands for a second before abruptly reaching behind me and yanking her onto the couch. She fell into a fit of giggles as I tickled her sides ceaselessly.

"I already know who wins," I said grinning. "But there is no way I am missing this episode. Besides, nothing can be worse than last weeks, right?"

She let out a very lady like snort and cuddled into my lap.

Last week was the premiere of '_I'm Not Falling For You_,' where they introduced Bella and ended up airing her audition tape. Emmett and Jasper could barely contain themselves the moment the whole world saw Bella fall flat on her face in front of the camera. I however, bit my tongue and kissed her forehead when I saw how embarrassed she was.

"You're not the one who made a fool of themselves on national TV," she murmured, lacing her fingers through mine and pulling the blanket on top of us.

I bent my head to kiss her nose. "I sure did. I was a fool in _love_."

"Damnit Jasper," said a voice coming from the doorway. "He's already started with the poetic tosspot comments." I turned to see Emmett looking at his watch. "And it's only 8:00."

I grinned at him and watched him toss his jacket idly over some unpacked boxes. Jasper came in shortly after and did the same.

"Where's the girls?" Bella asked immediately, wondering why Alice hadn't automatically bounded into the room as she did every other day.

"Outside trying to figure out which curtains would go best on the basement windows," Jasper answered, plopping down into an armchair.

"We're not getting basement curtains are we, I mean that is a little pointless right?" Bella asked the room in general, in which everyone smiled and felt that no explanation was needed when Alice was the one in question.

Before the show, Bella, Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice had all been living together for the past year. It was in driving distance of their college, and with 5 people, the rent was easy enough to pay. To my surprise, but extreme happiness, she had asked me to move in with them last week, and I had been a permanent resident for 2 days now. I questioned her at first, wanting to make sure that she didn't think it was too early, but she insisted, saying that it was basically like I lived there anyways.

These past 3 months with her had been amazing so far. There were some ups and downs with us trying to tie our lives together, but there was no sacrifice that we wouldn't make when it came to making it work between us. I had never been happier, and had never felt more accepted within their little group.

They always made jokes saying that now everything felt more complete, and I had to admit that I felt like I belonged with them. Emmett and Jasper had become two of my closest friends, and I ended splitting my time between them and Bella these days. And of course, Rose and Alice, who insisted on bombarding me with questions about my life, insisting that they had to know everything about me.

"Bella," cried Alice, finally charging into the room. "Tomorrow, you and me have a date with Bed Bath and Beyond."

Bella groaned and hid in my shoulder. I laughed and rumpled her hair.

Emmett dove a large hand into the popcorn bowl Bella had brought out and pulled Rosalie down next to him.

"See Alice! It already started," Rose pouted. "What did we miss?!"

"Nothing that good," said Jasper, opening his legs so Alice could sit between them. "Just credits and a couple of individual interviews."

"Am I in this episode?" Rose asked, turning to Bella with an expectant expression.

"I think?" Bella said. "I'm not sure though…this is going to be the one with the first competition and stuff, probably the first elimination."

"Good riddance to that clown!" shouted Emmett. "He was such an arrogant asshole for thinking he could bribe you with that bracelet."

"It was a nice bracelet…" said Alice, but quickly grinned and didn't comment further. "I mean, how dare he?!"

Jasper bent down and bit her ear playfully, make her laugh and climb up onto the sofa next to him.

"Oh yeah!" Rose squealed excitedly. "I remember what episode this is! It's when…"

"Don't finish that statement…" said a deep voice coming from the doorway.

I smiled and immediately answered back.

"And why is that…because you're ashamed to admit that you're a ball guzzling champion??" I teased as Jacob came strolling into the room with a short blond on his arm.

"You came pretty close yourself there Handsome," he joked, leaning down to give Bella a quick kiss on the top of her head before sucker punching me in the shoulder.

"Liz!" shouted Emmett to the girl on Jacob's arm, leaping up and grabbing the huge tray of cupcakes that she was holding. "We're so glad you could make it!"

"Sure, sure," she said sarcastically, surrendering the tray. "I can tell it's me that you are so happy to see." Emmett grinned back at her with a mouth already full of chocolate pastry.

I rubbed my shoulder and watched as Jacob took a seat on the rug and pulled Liz into his lap. Bella caught my gaze and we shared a secret smile at the situation. Jacob had been hurt at first of course, but he ended up really hitting it off with Liz, "The cupcake girl" as she had been dubbed around the set. Bella and I couldn't have been more enthralled at the news, because we both felt pretty bad when all was said and done.

And now that the stress of competing for Bella was no longer an issue, Jacob and I had become friends of some sort. Well, we were constantly bickering and getting into innocent altercations, but that was just the way it worked between us.

"He was such a douche bag," said Emmett, growling at the TV as Tyler made a pretty vulgar comment about Bella. "I swear…if I ever saw him again…" he trailed off shaking his head.

"He was harmless…" said Bella.

"He sucked." Said Jacob, turning around and grabbing a cupcake of his own. "I wanted to punch his face in at least twice a day. We should have while we had the chance, Edward."

"Zack was worse," I responded. "I couldn't even stand the sight of that kid. Always looking to cause trouble." I shuddered and pulled Bella in closer.

"Oh look, there's Ron!" sighed Alice. "He was so dreamy…"

All the girls in the room nodded in agreement, but quickly stifled themselves as every male in the room turned to them disgruntled. After a lot of 'Just kiddings,' and 'Not near as good looking as you's,' the boys were mollified again.

"I liked him a lot though," said Jacob, wiping his hands on his jeans. "He was a good guy."

"Me too," I said. "Probably the only other contestant I ever got along with. Although…something was _off_ about him…I still can't figure out what it was though…"

"His girlfriend was the cutest thing," added Bella. "She was so sweet, and you could tell that she was head over heels for that guy."

"She needed a hair relaxer," said Alice seriously. "But other than that, I agree with you."

We watched the show in silence for a moment, before Emmett started cackling as the infamous table came into view.

"Yes! Time to shine Wolf!" he said to Jacob, sitting up to better prepare himself to watch the competition clip. "I have wanted to see this ever since Rose told me about it. I still don't know how you two managed to swallow that stuff."

"It wasn't fun," I said, grimacing as I remembered the taste of the testicles. "I'll tell ya that much."

We all watched and laughed as the camera panned around, capturing all of us eating that delightful meal.

"Not one of my proudest moments," Jacob muttered.

Afterwards, everyone in the room grabbed a cupcake to just get the nasty taste they had in their mouths away.

I wondered for a moment if Jacob would still honor the ritual to watch the show together when it was time to air '_his'_ episode. Somehow I didn't think so, it would be too awkward. Even though things were okay between us, I kind of wanted to save that episode for just Bella and me.

I looked down to her and saw that was watching me.

"I love you," she mouthed.

"Love you," I mouthed back, leaning in to give her a small lingering kiss.

Which of course was a bad idea, because it seemed once I started with Bella, I could never stop.

"Mmmm…you sure you don't want to go upstairs?" she offered. "I mean, we could always buy the complete season on DVD."

"As tempting as that is," I said against her lips. "There is plenty of time for that later." I pinched her waist softly for emphasis. "But…I kinda want to see what you said about me behind the scenes!" I grinned cheekily, pulling myself away.

She looked back at me with her deep chocolate eyes and smiled before resting her head on my shoulder. I sighed in complete contentment, my eyes on the television, but only half registering what was going on.

Sometimes I still couldn't believe that what happened was actually _my _life. Did I really go on a TV show? Fight tooth and nail for the woman that I love? The old Edward would think it was crazy. Hell, the new Edward thought it was crazy.

But when I looked down at my Bella, I didn't care. Because she was mine, and I was desperately in love with her.

We watched the show until the end. Emmett cheering loudly as Bella confidently gave Eric the boot. However, no one was prepared for his ending comment, which was something along the lines of "_doesn't want a girl who can't see the finer things in life anyway.'_

"Where does that plonker live?" asked Jasper, glaring at the television. "I say we pay him a quick visit."

"Jazz he was obviously just upset that he lost, he didn't really mean it," said Alice.

"Yeah," laughed Bella. "And I'm sure that's not going to be the worst comment thrown my way. It's not a big deal…everything worked out in the end."

We smiled at each other softly.

After that, everyone headed up to their respected rooms as Bella and I walked Jacob and Liz to the door. Bella grabbed Liz into a big hug, as Jacob gave me one of his smug looks, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Good to see ya, Edward," he told me. "You looked terrible, as usual."

"You always look particularly ugly," I responded. "But I never comment."

"Probably because I'm always scrunching up my face at how bad you smell."

"Defense mechanism so you won't go near me."

"I'd rather pull off my toenails than go near you."

"With your appetite, I wouldn't be surprised if you ate them afterwards."

We grinned at each other.

"See you next week," he said, clapping a hand on my back roughly.

"Unfortunately," I answered, shaking his hand.

After our goodbyes, I turned and my heart lifted as I noticed Bella and I were alone.

"Now," she purred. "Let's go upstairs _Handsome_."

**Yay! Everyone's happy! LOL. Liz is based off one of my best friends, who basically is an amazing baker and makes the BEST cupcakes. We usually rely on her for the girl's birthdays and stuff, HA. **


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